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CPT code 61798: Cranial radiosurgery, complex lesion2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports single-session stereotactic radiosurgery for a complex cranial lesion, such as an intracranial tumor treated with focused radiation rather than open resection.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities3K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,338.37 for 61798 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 61798

Cranial radiosurgery, complex lesion

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
19.35
Total RVUs
40.07
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,338.37

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 61798 →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 61798 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 61798 covers

This code represents single-session stereotactic radiosurgery directed at a complex intracranial lesion. Neurosurgeons and radiation oncologists commonly participate in treating brain metastases, meningiomas, and vestibular schwannomas with focused radiation using stereotactic localization and treatment planning. The service is typically delivered in a hospital or radiation-treatment setting without open removal of the lesion.

Report 61798 for the first complex lesion in the session; report 61799 for each additional complex lesion. Choose the complex rather than simple sequence based on the documented lesion classification, not lesion count or laterality alone. Records should identify the treated target or targets, support their complex classification, and document stereotactic planning and treatment. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate, including when targets are on both sides of the brain.

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 61798 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

61798 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,169.71
AlaskaUnavailable$1,569.85
ArizonaUnavailable$1,286.88
ArkansasUnavailable$1,149.33
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,400.57
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,334.08
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,287.61
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,442.84
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,281.14
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,281.22

61798 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
61798 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 61798 rate is calculated

Each of 61798’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 · 61798

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work19.35

19.35 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense12.76

12.76 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice7.96

7.96 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

40.0700

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,338.37

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 61798

61798 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 61798

Cranial radiosurgery, complex 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 · 61798

Cranial radiosurgery, complex 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

61798 without 80 · national facility

$1,338.37

Cranial radiosurgery, complex lesion

61798-80 · Assistant: 16%

$214.14

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

When to use modifier 80

61798 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 61798

    Cranial radiosurgery, complex lesion19.35 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61796

    Cranial radiosurgery, simple lesion13.58 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61797

    Cranial radiosurgery, each additional simple lesion3.39 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 61799

    Cranial radiosurgery, each additional complex lesion4.69 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

61796Cranial radiosurgerySimple lesion
Use 61796 for a simple cranial lesion; use 61798 when the lesion is classified as complex. The lesion classification, not laterality, distinguishes these codes.
61797Cranial radiosurgeryEach additional simple lesion
61797 is for each additional simple lesion. For additional complex lesions treated with 61798, use 61799 instead.
61799Cranial radiosurgeryEach additional complex lesion
61798 reports the first complex lesion in the session; 61799 reports each additional complex lesion.

Codes related to 61798

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

Codes related to 61798
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
61796Cranial radiosurgery, simple lesionCorresponding cranial stereotactic radiosurgery code for a simple lesion.No office rate
61797Cranial radiosurgery, each additional simple lesionAdditional-lesion code in the simple-lesion sequence.No office rate
Add-on codes
61799Cranial radiosurgery, each additional complex lesionReported for each additional complex cranial lesion treated in the session.No office rate

61798 billing questions

How is 61798 distinguished from 61796?

61798 is for a complex cranial lesion; 61796 is the corresponding simple-lesion code. Use the documented CPT complexity classification rather than assuming that lesion size, location, or count alone determines the level.

How are multiple complex lesions reported?

Report 61798 for the first complex lesion treated in the session and 61799 for each additional complex lesion. Document the targets and which lesions are additional.

Should modifier 50 be used for lesions on both sides?

No. Bilateral adjustment is not appropriate for this code; report applicable additional-lesion services using the complex-lesion sequence.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after the procedure.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

CMS permits assistant-at-surgery payment for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

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 61798PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,891 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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