CPT code 61615: Skull lesion surgery, extradural, with craniectomy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in North Carolina

Reports surgical removal of an extradural neoplastic, vascular, or infectious skull lesion when the procedure includes craniectomy.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality59 Medicare services in 2024

In North Carolina, Medicare pays $2,562.85 for 61615 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Not available in this settingOffice (non-facility)

$2,562.85Hospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 61615 nationwide

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

On this page 11 sections

Rate in North Carolina
What 61615 covers
Compared with other areas
Rate map
How it’s calculated
Payment rules
Related codes
Rate history
Where it applies
Billing questions
Sources

What 61615 covers

A neurosurgeon removes a neoplastic, vascular, or infectious lesion involving the skull from outside the dura, including the craniectomy needed to reach and excise it. A typical setting is facility-based surgery for a calvarial lesion requiring operative removal. The operative report should establish the lesion’s location and nature, the extradural operative plane, and the skull removal and excision performed.

Choose this code for an extradural skull lesion, not for an intradural lesion or a lesion at a separately defined cranial site. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the major-surgery global period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; 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.

How North Carolina compares for 61615

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 61615 runs from $2,415.89 in Arkansas to $3,618.74 in Miami, FL. North Carolina pays $2,562.85. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

61615 in North Carolina vs other payment areas

North Carolina · this page$2,562.85
Los Angeles, CA · California$2,913.18+$350.33
Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$3,143.57+$580.72
Miami, FL · Florida$3,618.74+$1,055.89
Chicago, IL · Illinois$3,469.89+$907.04
Manhattan, NY · New York$3,369.52+$806.67
Alaska · Alaska$3,255.29+$692.44

Other areas in North Carolina first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

61615 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment locality	Office	Facility
AlabamaAlabama	—	$2,459.57
ArkansasArkansas	—	$2,415.89
ArizonaArizona	—	$2,711.48
Bakersfield, CACalifornia	—	$2,759.46
Chico, CACalifornia	—	$2,721.19
El Centro, CACalifornia	—	$2,723.65
Fresno, CACalifornia	—	$2,721.19
Hanford, CACalifornia	—	$2,721.19
Madera, CACalifornia	—	$2,721.19
Merced, CACalifornia	—	$2,721.19
Modesto, CACalifornia	—	$2,721.19
Napa, CACalifornia	—	$3,018.74
Oxnard, CACalifornia	—	$2,876.69
Redding, CACalifornia	—	$2,721.19
Rest of CaliforniaCalifornia	—	$2,721.19
Riverside, CACalifornia	—	$2,878.42
Sacramento, CACalifornia	—	$2,821.11
Salinas, CACalifornia	—	$2,810.64
San Diego, CACalifornia	—	$2,855.39
Marin County, CACalifornia	—	$3,138.71
San Francisco, CACalifornia	—	$3,121.97
San Benito County, CACalifornia	—	$3,231.25
Santa Clara County, CACalifornia	—	$3,162.81
San Luis Obispo, CACalifornia	—	$2,771.11
Santa Cruz, CACalifornia	—	$2,864.01
Santa Maria, CACalifornia	—	$2,815.28
Santa Rosa, CACalifornia	—	$2,889.59
Stockton, CACalifornia	—	$2,721.19
Vallejo, CACalifornia	—	$2,994.62
Visalia, CACalifornia	—	$2,721.19
Yuba City, CACalifornia	—	$2,721.19
ColoradoColorado	—	$2,798.83
ConnecticutConnecticut	—	$3,034.46
DelawareDelaware	—	$2,760.54
Fort Lauderdale, FLFlorida	—	$3,231.26
Rest of FloridaFlorida	—	$3,014.92
Atlanta, GAGeorgia	—	$2,939.40
Rest of GeorgiaGeorgia	—	$2,787.51
Hawaii, Guam, HIHawaii	—	$2,770.16
IowaIowa	—	$2,422.81
IdahoIdaho	—	$2,466.03
East St. Louis, ILIllinois	—	$3,224.71
Rest of IllinoisIllinois	—	$2,994.54
Suburban Chicago, ILIllinois	—	$3,237.95
IndianaIndiana	—	$2,480.56
KansasKansas	—	$2,462.72
KentuckyKentucky	—	$2,647.65
New Orleans, LALouisiana	—	$2,816.82
Rest of LouisianaLouisiana	—	$2,664.17
Metropolitan Boston, MAMassachusetts	—	$3,037.21
Rest of MassachusettsMassachusetts	—	$2,798.60
Baltimore area, MDMaryland	—	$3,038.44
Rest of MarylandMaryland	—	$2,803.58
Rest of MaineMaine	—	$2,539.39
Southern Maine, MEMaine	—	$2,626.25
Detroit, MIMichigan	—	$3,115.47
Rest of MichiganMichigan	—	$2,780.87
MinnesotaMinnesota	—	$2,505.44
Metropolitan Kansas City, MOMissouri	—	$2,736.22
Metropolitan St. Louis, MOMissouri	—	$2,763.62
Rest of MissouriMissouri	—	$2,645.35
MississippiMississippi	—	$2,528.49
MontanaMontana	—	$2,817.38
North DakotaNorth Dakota	—	$2,525.92
NebraskaNebraska	—	$2,422.74
New HampshireNew Hampshire	—	$2,804.43
Northern New JerseyNew Jersey	—	$3,111.01
Rest of New JerseyNew Jersey	—	$3,019.54
New MexicoNew Mexico	—	$2,820.96
NevadaNevada	—	$2,737.31
NYC suburbs and Long Island, NYNew York	—	$3,534.29
Poughkeepsie and northern NYC suburbs, NYNew York	—	$3,084.48
Queens, NYNew York	—	$3,321.84
Rest of New YorkNew York	—	$2,614.10
OhioOhio	—	$2,721.30
OklahomaOklahoma	—	$2,584.35
Portland, OROregon	—	$2,839.84
Rest of OregonOregon	—	$2,667.50
Metropolitan Philadelphia, PAPennsylvania	—	$2,981.96
Rest of PennsylvaniaPennsylvania	—	$2,696.09
Puerto RicoPuerto Rico	—	$2,823.75
Rhode IslandRhode Island	—	$2,825.65
South CarolinaSouth Carolina	—	$2,656.28
South DakotaSouth Dakota	—	$2,491.46
TennesseeTennessee	—	$2,484.77
Austin, TXTexas	—	$2,831.91
Beaumont, TXTexas	—	$2,678.92
Brazoria, TXTexas	—	$2,708.93
Dallas, TXTexas	—	$2,754.30
Fort Worth, TXTexas	—	$2,749.09
Galveston, TXTexas	—	$2,734.88
Houston, TXTexas	—	$3,004.68
Rest of TexasTexas	—	$2,711.40
UtahUtah	—	$2,698.49
VirginiaVirginia	—	$2,653.89
Virgin Islands, VIUnited States Virgin Islands	—	$2,823.75
VermontVermont	—	$2,563.55
Rest of WashingtonWashington	—	$2,777.38
King County, WAWashington	—	$3,050.07
WisconsinWisconsin	—	$2,428.91
West VirginiaWest Virginia	—	$2,878.47
WyomingWyoming	—	$2,690.36

61615 rates by state

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

ME WI VT NH MT ND MN MI NY MA RI WA ID WY SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT OR NV UT CO NE MO KY WV VA MD DE CA AZ NM KS OK AR TN NC SC DC TX LA MS AL GA FL AK HI

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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

61615 office rate range by state
State / territory	Office rate range	Localities
AK	No published base rate	1
AL	No published base rate	1
AR	No published base rate	1
AZ	No published base rate	1
CA	No published base rate	29
CO	No published base rate	1
CT	No published base rate	1
DC	No published base rate	1
DE	No published base rate	1
FL	No published base rate	3
GA	No published base rate	2
GU	No published base rate	1
HI	No published base rate	1
IA	No published base rate	1
ID	No published base rate	1
IL	No published base rate	4
IN	No published base rate	1
KS	No published base rate	1
KY	No published base rate	1
LA	No published base rate	2
MA	No published base rate	2
MD	No published base rate	3
ME	No published base rate	2
MI	No published base rate	2
MN	No published base rate	1
MO	No published base rate	3
MS	No published base rate	1
MT	No published base rate	1
NC	No published base rate	1
ND	No published base rate	1
NE	No published base rate	1
NH	No published base rate	1
NJ	No published base rate	2
NM	No published base rate	1
NV	No published base rate	1
NY	No published base rate	5
OH	No published base rate	1
OK	No published base rate	1
OR	No published base rate	2
PA	No published base rate	2
PR	No published base rate	1
RI	No published base rate	1
SC	No published base rate	1
SD	No published base rate	1
TN	No published base rate	1
TX	No published base rate	8
UT	No published base rate	1
VA	No published base rate	2
VI	No published base rate	1
VT	No published base rate	1
WA	No published base rate	2
WI	No published base rate	1
WV	No published base rate	1
WY	No published base rate	1

See 61615 in every payment locality

How the 61615 rate is calculated

Each of 61615’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 · 61615

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Your ZIP

Work34.88

34.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense34.76

34.76 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice14.74

14.74 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

84.3800

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$2,818.37

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

The exact North Carolina inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

6,843

Code: 61615
Physician work: 34.88
Practice expense: 34.76
Malpractice: 14.74

GPCI2026.csv

Locality: North Carolina
Physician work: 1.000
Practice expense: 0.933
Malpractice: 0.639

Facility calculation for 61615 in North Carolina
Component	RVU	Locality factor	Adjusted
Physician work	34.88	× 1.000	34.8800
Practice expense	34.76	× 0.933	32.4311
Malpractice	14.74	× 0.639	9.4189
Total RVUs			76.7299
Conversion factor			× 33.4009

Facility rate, North Carolina$2562.85

Facility: (34.88 × 1 + 34.76 × 0.933 + 14.74 × 0.639) × $33.4009 = $2562.85

Open 61615 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 61615

61615 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 61615

Skull lesion surgery, extradural, with craniectomy

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)	2	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 · 61615

Skull lesion surgery, extradural, with craniectomy

Date of surgery

Date of a later visit

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

61615 without 51 · national facility

$2,818.37

Skull lesion surgery, extradural, with craniectomy

61615-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,409.19

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

Codes related to 61615

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

Codes related to 61615
Code	How it relates	Office range, North Carolina
Same family
61616	Skull-base resection, intradural lesionRelated skull-lesion resection code for an intradural rather than extradural lesion.	No office rate
Used instead
61600	Skull base resection, anterior fossa, extraduralUsed for a lesion in the parasellar area, cavernous sinus, clivus, or petrous apex.	No office rate
61605	Skull-base resection, middle fossa, extraduralUsed for a lesion in the infratemporal fossa rather than the skull site described by 61615.	No office rate
61500	Skull lesion excision, craniectomy approachCraniectomy code for excision of a benign skull tumor or cyst.	No office rate

How 61615 has changed in North Carolina

61615 · Office / nonfacility

Rate unavailable

Effective 2026-10-01

Compare with release effective

A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release

Rates in every CMS release
Effective from	Office	Facility	CMS release
2026-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,562.85	RVU26D
2026-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,562.85	RVU26C
2026-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,562.85	RVU26B
2026-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,562.85	RVU26A
2025-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,517.01	RVU25D
2025-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,517.01	RVU25C
2025-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,517.01	RVU25B
2025-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,517.01	RVU25A
2024-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,591.53	RVU24D
2024-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,591.53	RVU24C
2024-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,591.53	RVU24B
2024-03-09	Not available in this setting	$2,591.53	RVU24AR
2024-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,549.23	RVU24A
2023-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,672.81	RVU23D
2023-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,672.81	RVU23C
2023-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,672.81	RVU23B
2023-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,672.81	RVU23A
2022-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,747.84	RVU22D
2022-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,747.84	RVU22C
2022-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,747.84	RVU22B
2022-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,747.84	RVU22A
2021-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,762.30	RVU21D
2021-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,762.30	RVU21C
2021-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,762.30	RVU21B
2021-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,762.30	RVU21A
2020-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,736.02	RVU20D
2020-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,736.02	RVU20C
2020-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,736.02	RVU20B
2020-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,736.02	RVU20A
2019-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,724.08	RVU19D
2019-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,724.08	RVU19C
2019-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,713.56	RVU19B
2019-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,713.56	RVU19A
2018-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,703.97	RVU18D
2018-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,703.97	RVU18C
2018-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,703.97	RVU18B
2018-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,703.97	RVU18AR1
2017-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,414.82	RVU17D
2017-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,414.82	RVU17C
2017-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,414.82	RVU17B
2017-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,414.82	RVU17A
2016-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,256.02	RVU16D
2016-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,256.02	RVU16C
2016-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,256.02	RVU16B
2016-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,256.02	RVU16A
2015-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,664.50	RVU15D
2015-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,664.50	RVU15C
2015-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,651.24	RVU15B
2015-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,651.24	RVU15A
2014-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,225.75	RVU14D
2014-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,225.75	RVU14C
2014-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,225.75	RVU14B
2014-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,225.75	RVU14A
2013-10-01	Not available in this setting	$2,180.49	RVU13D
2013-07-01	Not available in this setting	$2,180.49	RVU13C
2013-04-01	Not available in this setting	$2,180.49	RVU13B
2013-01-01	Not available in this setting	$2,180.49	RVU13AR

Price 61615 for an earlier date of service

Where the North Carolina rate applies

North Carolina is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 785 cities and communities in North Carolina. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

Aberdeen
Advance
Ahoskie
Alamance
Albemarle
Alexis
Alliance
Altamahaw

Browse all communities in North Carolina

61615 billing questions

How does 61615 differ from 61616?

61615 is for an extradural skull lesion removed with craniectomy. Use 61616 when the skull lesion is intradural and the procedure includes dural work.

Is craniectomy included in 61615?

Yes. The code includes the craniectomy performed as part of resecting or excising the extradural lesion.

Can modifier 50 be reported?

No. The descriptor and anatomy make a bilateral adjustment inappropriate for 61615.

What postoperative care is included?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons are paid only when supporting documentation is provided.

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 61615PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,843 (RVU26D)

6,84061608,,[CPT descriptor omitted],A,,44.40,32.16,NA,32.16,,18.09,94.65,94.65,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00

6,84161611,,[CPT descriptor omitted],A,,7.22,2.53,NA,2.53,,3.04,12.79,12.79,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00

6,84261613,,[CPT descriptor omitted],A,,43.90,33.63,NA,33.63,,18.54,96.07,96.07,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00

6,84361615,,[CPT descriptor omitted],A,,34.88,34.76,NA,34.76,,14.74,84.38,84.38,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00

6,84461616,,[CPT descriptor omitted],A,,45.57,32.19,NA,32.19,,16.71,94.47,94.47,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00

6,84561618,,[CPT descriptor omitted],A,,18.22,12.18,NA,12.18,,6.08,36.48,36.48,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00

6,84661619,,[CPT descriptor omitted],A,,21.55,16.21,NA,16.21,,9.11,46.87,46.87,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00

Geographic factors for North CarolinaGPCI2026.csv, line 83 (RVU26D)

8013202,NY,03,POUGHKPSIE/N NYC SUBURBS,1.045,1.095,1.210

8113292,NY,04,QUEENS,1.064,1.182,1.442

8213282,NY,99,REST OF NEW YORK,1.000,0.950,0.703

8311502,NC,00,NORTH CAROLINA,1.000,0.933,0.639

8403302,ND,01,NORTH DAKOTA**,1.000,1.000,0.406

8515202,OH,00,OHIO,1.000,0.913,1.008

8604312,OK,00,OKLAHOMA,1.000,0.893,0.777

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What 61615 covers

How North Carolina compares for 61615

Every other payment area

61615 rates by state

How the 61615 rate is calculated

Payment rules and modifiers for 61615

What modifiers do to the payment

Codes related to 61615

How 61615 has changed in North Carolina

Where the North Carolina rate applies

61615 billing questions

How does 61615 differ from 61616?

Is craniectomy included in 61615?

Can modifier 50 be reported?

What postoperative care is included?

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Where these rates come from

Did this answer your question about what 61615 pays in North Carolina?

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