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CPT code 61520: Brain lesion removal, cerebellopontine angle tumor2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical removal of a cerebellopontine angle brain tumor other than a meningioma, typically through a craniotomy or craniectomy.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities587 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $3,499.08 for 61520 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 61520

Brain lesion removal, cerebellopontine angle tumor

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
55.66
Total RVUs
104.76
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$3,499.08

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 61520 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 61520 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 61520 covers

This code is for operative removal of a tumor in the cerebellopontine angle, the space between the cerebellum and pons. A vestibular schwannoma, also called an acoustic neuroma, is a familiar example. A neurosurgeon performs the resection in an operating room, using a craniotomy or craniectomy to reach the lesion. The operative report should establish the tumor’s cerebellopontine angle location and distinguish it from a meningioma.

Select this code based on the operative site and lesion type, not simply because a brain tumor was removed. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the following 90 days. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeons are permitted; team surgery is not permitted.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 61520 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

61520 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$3,075.59
AlaskaUnavailable$4,171.78
ArizonaUnavailable$3,368.34
ArkansasUnavailable$3,024.60
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$3,661.71
Austin, TXUnavailable$3,476.29
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$3,347.48
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$3,764.51
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$3,364.91
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$3,349.99

61520 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

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Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
61520 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 61520 rate is calculated

Each of 61520’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

How the rate is built · 61520

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work55.66

55.66 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense27.93

27.93 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice21.17

21.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

104.7600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$3,499.08

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 61520

61520 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 61520

Brain lesion removal, cerebellopontine angle tumor

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)2Permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.11/0.76/0.13Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 61520

Brain lesion removal, cerebellopontine angle tumor

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

61520 without 51 · national facility

$3,499.08

Brain lesion removal, cerebellopontine angle tumor

61520-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,749.54

When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).

When to use modifier 51

61520 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 61520

    Brain lesion removal, cerebellopontine angle tumor55.66 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61518

    Brain tumor excision, infratentorial, non-meningioma38.89 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61519

    Meningioma removal, infratentorial lesion42.34 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61521

    Brain lesion removal, cerebellopontine angle tumor45.82 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61522

    Brain abscess removal, infratentorial30.75 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

61518Brain tumor excisionInfratentorial, non-meningioma
Use 61520 for a cerebellopontine angle tumor other than a meningioma. Code 61518 describes a different infratentorial tumor resection situation.
61519Meningioma removalInfratentorial lesion
Code 61519 is for infratentorial meningioma resection; 61520 is for a cerebellopontine angle tumor other than a meningioma.
61521Brain lesion removalCerebellopontine angle tumor
Both concern cerebellopontine angle tumors, but 61521 is the meningioma-specific option. Use 61520 for a non-meningioma tumor.
61522Brain abscess removalInfratentorial
Code 61522 is for removal of an infratentorial brain abscess, not a cerebellopontine angle tumor.

Codes related to 61520

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 61520
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
61518Brain tumor excision, infratentorial, non-meningiomaRelated infratentorial tumor resection code for a different tumor location.No office rate
61519Meningioma removal, infratentorial lesionRelated infratentorial meningioma resection code.No office rate
61521Brain lesion removal, cerebellopontine angle tumorCerebellopontine angle tumor resection code when the lesion is a meningioma.No office rate
61522Brain abscess removal, infratentorialRelated infratentorial code for removal of a brain abscess.No office rate

61520 billing questions

How does this differ from code 61518?

Use 61520 for a cerebellopontine angle tumor other than a meningioma. Code 61518 is for a different infratentorial tumor situation, not a CPA tumor.

When should code 61521 be considered instead?

Code 61521 is the related option for a cerebellopontine angle meningioma. The operative documentation should identify the lesion as a meningioma.

What documentation supports reporting 61520?

The operative report should identify the cerebellopontine angle as the tumor site and describe the surgical removal. Include findings that distinguish the lesion from a meningioma.

How does the global period affect postoperative billing?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made, and co-surgeons are permitted. Team surgery is not permitted for this code.

What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 61520PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,786 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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