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CPT code 61796: Cranial radiosurgery, simple lesion2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports stereotactic radiosurgery for one simple cranial lesion, such as an arteriovenous malformation or benign tumor, using focused radiation rather than open resection.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities5.8K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,012.72 for 61796 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 61796

Cranial radiosurgery, simple lesion

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
13.58
Total RVUs
30.32
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,012.72

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 61796 →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 61796 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 61796 covers

This service delivers focused radiation to a defined intracranial target using stereotactic localization. It is used for a simple cranial lesion, including an arteriovenous malformation or benign tumor, and is commonly provided through a hospital or radiation oncology setting by a physician involved in radiosurgery, such as a radiation oncologist or neurosurgeon. Frame placement, when performed as part of the service, is included.

Report 61796 for the first simple lesion; report 61797 for each additional simple lesion. Documentation should identify the target and support its simple-lesion classification, and record the stereotactic treatment provided. CMS assigns this major surgery a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. An assistant at surgery may be paid. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; co-surgeon and team-surgery payment are 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 61796 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

61796 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$884.20
AlaskaUnavailable$1,178.34
ArizonaUnavailable$973.94
ArkansasUnavailable$868.62
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,058.12
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,013.42
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$982.62
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,091.90
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$966.00
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$971.28

61796 rates by state

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

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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
61796 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 61796 rate is calculated

Each of 61796’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 · 61796

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work13.58

13.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense11.06

11.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice5.68

5.68 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

30.3200

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,012.72

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 61796

61796 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 61796

Cranial radiosurgery, simple lesion

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
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 · 61796

Cranial radiosurgery, simple lesion

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 80 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

61796 without 80 · national facility

$1,012.72

Cranial radiosurgery, simple lesion

61796-80 · Assistant: 16%

$162.04

A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.

When to use modifier 80

61796 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 61796

    Cranial radiosurgery, simple lesion13.58 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61797

    Cranial radiosurgery, each additional simple lesion3.39 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61798

    Cranial radiosurgery, complex lesion19.35 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61799

    Cranial radiosurgery, each additional complex lesion4.69 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

61797Cranial radiosurgeryEach additional simple lesion
61796 reports the first simple cranial lesion; 61797 reports each additional simple lesion in the same treatment context.
61798Cranial radiosurgeryComplex lesion
Choose 61798 when the cranial lesion is classified as complex rather than simple; lesion complexity, not merely the number of targets, distinguishes the codes.
61799Cranial radiosurgeryEach additional complex lesion
61799 reports an additional complex lesion with the complex-lesion service. It is not the add-on for additional simple lesions; use 61797 for those.

Codes related to 61796

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

Codes related to 61796
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Add-on codes
61797Cranial radiosurgery, each additional simple lesionAdd-on for each additional simple cranial lesion treated with the primary service.No office rate
Used instead
61798Cranial radiosurgery, complex lesionUse for a complex cranial lesion rather than a simple lesion.No office rate
Same family
61799Cranial radiosurgery, each additional complex lesionAdditional-lesion code for complex cranial targets, paired with 61798.No office rate

61796 billing questions

When should 61796 be chosen instead of 61798?

Use 61796 for a simple cranial lesion, such as an arteriovenous malformation or benign tumor. Use 61798 when the lesion is classified as complex.

How are additional simple lesions reported?

Report 61796 for the first simple lesion and 61797 for each additional simple lesion treated.

Is frame placement separately reported?

Frame placement, when performed as part of this radiosurgery service, is included in 61796.

What global period applies?

CMS assigns a 90-day global period. The day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days are included.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. CMS does not permit co-surgeon or team-surgery payment for this code.

Should modifier 50 be used for bilateral targets?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for 61796; report additional simple lesions using the applicable add-on code instead.

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 61796PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,889 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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