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CPT code 61797: Cranial radiosurgery, each additional simple lesion2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports treatment of each additional simple cranial target during stereotactic radiosurgery, alongside the primary code for a simple lesion.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities8.4K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $200.07 for 61797 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 61797

Cranial radiosurgery, each additional simple lesion

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
3.39
Total RVUs
5.99
Global days
ZZZ

National rate · 2026

$200.07

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 61797 →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 61797 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 61797 covers

Code 61797 represents stereotactic radiosurgery directed at an additional simple intracranial lesion during a treatment session. SRS delivers focused radiation to a cranial target without open surgical removal; clinical targets may include brain metastases or other intracranial lesions selected for radiosurgical treatment. Neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists commonly participate in planning and treatment, often in a hospital or specialized radiosurgery setting.

Report 61797 for each additional simple lesion treated, with 61796 as the primary procedure for the simple-lesion treatment. The record should identify the lesions treated, support their classification as simple, and document the radiosurgery plan and delivered treatment. This is an add-on code: it is not billed alone, and Medicare payment falls within the primary procedure’s global period.

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 61797 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

61797 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$174.56
AlaskaUnavailable$237.95
ArizonaUnavailable$192.02
ArkansasUnavailable$171.51
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$210.57
Austin, TXUnavailable$197.18
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$187.46
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$216.00
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$193.16
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$190.19

61797 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
61797 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 61797 rate is calculated

Each of 61797’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 · 61797

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work3.39

3.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense1.18

1.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.42

1.42 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

5.9900

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$200.07

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 61797

The CMS indicators that decide how 61797 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 61797

Cranial radiosurgery, each additional simple lesion

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodZZZAdd-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period.
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.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 80 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

61797 without 80 · national facility

$200.07

Cranial radiosurgery, each additional simple lesion

61797-80 · Assistant: 16%

$32.01

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

When to use modifier 80

61797 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 61797

    Cranial radiosurgery, each additional simple lesion3.39 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61796

    Cranial radiosurgery, simple lesion13.58 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

61796Cranial radiosurgerySimple lesion
61796 is the primary simple-lesion radiosurgery procedure; 61797 adds each further simple lesion treated.
61798Cranial radiosurgeryComplex lesion
61798 is the primary code for a complex cranial lesion. Use 61797 only for additional lesions classified as simple.
61799Cranial radiosurgeryEach additional complex lesion
61799 reports each additional complex lesion, while 61797 reports each additional simple lesion.

Codes related to 61797

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

Codes related to 61797
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Primary code
61796Cranial radiosurgery, simple lesionPrimary procedure for simple-lesion cranial radiosurgery; 61797 reports each additional simple lesion.No office rate
Used instead
61798Cranial radiosurgery, complex lesionPrimary cranial radiosurgery code when the lesion is classified as complex.No office rate
Same family
61799Cranial radiosurgery, each additional complex lesionAdditional-lesion counterpart for complex cranial targets.No office rate

61797 billing questions

When is 61797 reported instead of 61796?

Use 61796 for the primary simple-lesion radiosurgery procedure. Report 61797 for each additional simple lesion treated in that session.

Can 61797 be billed by itself?

No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with the applicable primary procedure, 61796 for simple-lesion treatment.

How many units should be reported?

Report one unit for each additional simple lesion treated. The record should identify each target and show that radiosurgery was delivered to it.

How does 61797 differ from 61799?

Both represent additional cranial lesions, but 61797 is for lesions classified as simple and 61799 for those classified as complex.

What documentation supports the additional-lesion code?

Document the number and identity of lesions, their simple classification, the treatment plan, and delivery of radiosurgery to each additional target.

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 61797PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,890 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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