CPT code 61575: Transoral skull-base surgery, standard transoral exposure2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports transoral surgery to biopsy, decompress, or remove a lesion involving the skull base, brainstem, or upper spinal cord.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61575 in California.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 61575 covers
This code covers an operation performed through the mouth to reach a lesion at the skull base, brainstem, or upper spinal cord for biopsy, decompression, or removal. Neurosurgeons may perform the intracranial or spinal portion, often with an otolaryngologist or head and neck surgeon assisting with exposure. Typical cases involve a lesion near the clivus or ventral craniovertebral junction when the operative plan uses an oral corridor.
Report the code when the documented route and treatment match this transoral service; the operative report should identify the target, the purpose of the procedure, and the exposure used. The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. A bilateral adjustment is not appropriate for this code.
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 61575 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | Unavailable | $2,308.02 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $2,268.95 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $2,271.46 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $2,268.95 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $2,268.95 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $2,424.46 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $2,268.95 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $2,549.03 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $2,268.95 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $2,268.95 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $2,469.36 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $2,387.65 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $2,268.95 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $2,268.95 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $2,429.49 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $2,339.77 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $2,330.94 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $2,628.62 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $2,359.39 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $2,531.94 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $2,299.88 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $2,558.74 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $2,359.32 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $2,332.41 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $2,379.39 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $2,268.95 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $2,444.73 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $2,268.95 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $2,268.95 |
How the 61575 rate is calculated
Each of 61575’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 · 61575
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work35.65
35.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense21.54
21.54 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice15.05
15.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
72.2400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$2,412.88
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61575
61575 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61575
Transoral skull-base surgery, standard transoral exposure
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.11/0.76/0.13 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 61575
Transoral skull-base surgery, standard transoral exposure
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
61575 without 51 · national facility
$2,412.88
Transoral skull-base surgery, standard transoral exposure
61575-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,206.44
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%).
61575 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 61576Transoral surgerySeparate-incision odontoid resection
- Both involve transoral access to a skull-base, brainstem, or upper spinal cord lesion. 61576 is distinguished by requiring a tongue and/or mandible split.
- 61580Craniofacial approachExtradural anterior fossa
- 61575 uses an oral corridor for the target lesion. 61580 describes a craniofacial route to the anterior cranial fossa.
- 61590Skull base approachInfratemporal, extradural
- 61590 uses an infratemporal approach to the skull base; 61575 is selected for the transoral route.
61575 billing questions
How is 61575 distinguished from 61576?
61575 represents the standard transoral exposure. Use 61576 when the operation requires splitting the tongue and/or mandible.
What documentation supports reporting 61575?
Document the lesion's location, the transoral route, and whether the service involved biopsy, decompression, or excision. The operative report should make clear that the work addressed the skull base, brainstem, or upper spinal cord.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported?
Related postoperative care during the 90-day global period is included, as is the day-before preoperative visit.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. A bilateral adjustment is not appropriate for 61575.
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
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