CPT code 61751: Brain biopsy, CT/MR-guided stereotactic2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports stereotactic sampling of an intracranial lesion using CT or MRI guidance, typically when tissue is needed to establish a brain lesion’s diagnosis.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61751 in Texas.
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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On this page 9 sections
What 61751 covers
A neurosurgeon uses stereotactic planning and CT or MRI guidance to direct instruments through a cranial opening to an intracranial lesion and obtain tissue. The service is typically performed in an operating room for a suspected brain tumor or another lesion that requires pathologic diagnosis; the specimen is sent for examination. The operative report should identify the target, the stereotactic approach, the imaging guidance used, and the tissue obtained.
Select this code when the biopsy is performed with CT or MRI guidance; distinguish it from stereotactic biopsy without that imaging guidance. The code has a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. For multiple procedures in one session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces the others to 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is barred by statutory restriction; 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 61751 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | $1,388.38 |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | $1,321.65 |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | $1,330.13 |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | $1,353.39 |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | $1,351.56 |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | $1,343.51 |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | $1,484.45 |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | $1,335.14 |
How the 61751 rate is calculated
Each of 61751’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 · 61751
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work18.32
18.32 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense15.49
15.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice7.70
7.70 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
41.5100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,386.47
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61751
61751 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61751
Brain biopsy, CT/MR-guided stereotactic
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| 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 · 61751
Brain biopsy, CT/MR-guided stereotactic
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
61751 without 51 · national facility
$1,386.47
Brain biopsy, CT/MR-guided stereotactic
61751-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$693.24
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%).
61751 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 61750Brain biopsyWithout CT/MR guidance
- Both describe stereotactic intracranial lesion biopsy. Choose 61751 when CT or MRI guidance is used; 61750 is for the procedure without that guidance.
- 61510Brain tumor excisionSupratentorial, nonmeningioma
- 61751 reports stereotactic tissue sampling with CT or MRI guidance. Code 61510 is for open excision of a supratentorial brain tumor.
- 61736Laser ablationSingle trajectory, simple lesion
- 61751 obtains tissue for diagnosis. Code 61736 describes laser interstitial thermal treatment of an intracranial lesion.
61751 billing questions
How does this differ from 61750?
Use 61751 for stereotactic intracranial biopsy performed with CT or MRI guidance. Code 61750 describes stereotactic biopsy without that imaging guidance.
What documentation supports 61751?
Document the intracranial target, stereotactic approach, use of CT or MRI to guide the biopsy, and tissue obtained.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral targets?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 is not suitable.
Is assistant-at-surgery payment available?
No. CMS lists a statutory restriction on assistant-at-surgery payment for 61751.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others 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
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