CPT code 61735: Brain lesioning, movement disorder, unilateral2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $1,571.18 for 61735 nationally in a facility.

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

What 61735 covers

This service is stereotactic radiofrequency lesioning of a deep intracranial target to manage a movement disorder. A functional neurosurgeon typically performs it in an operating room, using stereotactic equipment to guide treatment. Clinical contexts may include selected patients with tremor, Parkinson disease, or dystonia when an ablative approach is chosen. The code represents a unilateral procedure; document the treated side and target, the movement disorder being addressed, and the operative technique.

Report this code when the surgeon performs the described intracranial lesioning, rather than implanting stimulation electrodes or using focused ultrasound. It has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is barred; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and 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 61735 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

61735 rates by state

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

How the 61735 rate is calculated

Each of 61735’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 61735

61735 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

61735 compared with similar codes

How to choose

61715Focused ultrasoundIntracranial stereotactic ablation

Choose 61735 for stereotactic radiofrequency lesioning. Choose 61715 when the intracranial target is ablated using MR-guided focused ultrasound.

61863Brain electrode placementSubcortical, without microelectrode recording

61735 creates a lesion in neural tissue; 61863 is for implanting a neurostimulator electrode array.

61867Neuroelectrode placementSubcortical, with microelectrode recording

61735 is an ablative procedure. 61867 describes electrode-array implantation with intraoperative recording, not lesioning.

Codes related to 61735

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates