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CPT code 61600: Skull base resection, anterior fossa, extradural2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports operative removal of an extradural lesion at the anterior cranial fossa, such as a tumor or vascular lesion involving this skull-base region.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities222 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,914.87 for 61600 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 61600

Skull base resection, anterior fossa, extradural

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
29.26
Total RVUs
57.33
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,914.87

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 61600 →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 61600 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 61600 covers

This service covers surgical removal of a lesion located outside the dura at the anterior cranial fossa, the skull-base region behind the forehead and above the nasal cavity. Neurosurgeons and otolaryngologists with skull-base expertise may perform the resection in a hospital operating room. A lesion extending from the sinonasal region toward the cranial base is one clinical setting in which this work may be part of a larger operation.

Select the code when the operative report supports both the anterior fossa location and the extradural compartment; intradural work or a lesion in another cranial fossa points to a different code. Document the lesion’s site, compartment, extent of resection, and operative work. This major surgery code has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 61600 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

61600 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,730.70
AlaskaUnavailable$2,353.05
ArizonaUnavailable$1,861.31
ArkansasUnavailable$1,708.11
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,972.91
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,933.92
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,917.88
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$2,034.50
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,834.61
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,868.52

61600 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
61600 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 61600 rate is calculated

Each of 61600’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 · 61600

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work29.26

29.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense21.58

21.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice6.49

6.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

57.3300

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,914.87

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 61600

61600 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 61600

Skull base resection, anterior fossa, extradural

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)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)2Permitted.
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 · 61600

Skull base resection, anterior fossa, extradural

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

61600 without 51 · national facility

$1,914.87

Skull base resection, anterior fossa, extradural

61600-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$957.44

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%).

When to use modifier 51

61600 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 61600

    Skull base resection, anterior fossa, extradural29.26 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61601

    Skull base resection, anterior fossa, intradural30.36 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61605

    Skull-base resection, middle fossa, extradural31.76 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61607

    Cranial lesion resection, posterior fossa, extradural39.91 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

61601Skull base resectionAnterior fossa, intradural
Both address lesions at the anterior cranial fossa. The key distinction is compartment: 61600 is extradural, while 61601 is intradural.
61605Skull-base resectionMiddle fossa, extradural
Both describe extradural lesion resection, but 61605 is for the middle cranial fossa rather than the anterior fossa.
61607Cranial lesion resectionPosterior fossa, extradural
Both describe extradural lesion resection, but 61607 is for the posterior cranial fossa rather than the anterior fossa.

Codes related to 61600

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

Codes related to 61600
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
61601Skull base resection, anterior fossa, intraduralAnterior cranial fossa counterpart for an intradural lesion.No office rate
61605Skull-base resection, middle fossa, extraduralExtradural lesion resection in the middle cranial fossa.No office rate
61607Cranial lesion resection, posterior fossa, extraduralExtradural lesion resection in the posterior cranial fossa.No office rate
Often billed with
61580Craniofacial approach, extradural anterior fossaAnterior fossa extradural approach code that may accompany definitive lesion resection.No office rate

61600 billing questions

How is 61600 distinguished from 61601?

Use 61600 for an extradural lesion at the anterior cranial fossa. Use 61601 when the anterior fossa lesion is intradural.

Does the operative approach determine the resection code?

The resection code follows the lesion’s location and relationship to the dura. The approach is a separate part of the operative service when separately reportable.

Can an assistant-at-surgery be reported?

CMS indicates that assistant-at-surgery payment may be made for this code. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.

Should modifier 50 be used for bilateral work?

No. The bilateral adjustment does not apply to 61600, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.

What documentation supports reporting 61600?

The operative report should identify the anterior cranial fossa site, establish that the lesion was extradural, and describe the resection performed.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures in the session are paid at 50%.

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 61600PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,835 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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