CPT code 62142: Cranial implant removal, bone flap or prosthetic plate2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Report removal of an existing skull bone flap or prosthetic plate, such as during neurosurgical treatment of an infected or exposed cranial implant.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 62142 in Illinois.
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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What 62142 covers
A neurosurgeon removes a previously placed bone flap or prosthetic plate from the skull. This may be part of treating a complication such as infection, exposure, or wound breakdown. The service is generally performed in an operating room, often in a hospital, and concerns removal of the cranial material rather than repair of a skull defect by itself.
Report the code when the operative note supports removal of the existing bone flap or plate, identifying the material and the work performed. The 90-day global period includes 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 for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons and team surgery 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 62142 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | Unavailable | $1,106.36 |
| East St. Louis, IL | Unavailable | $1,029.42 |
| Rest of Illinois | Unavailable | $957.00 |
| Suburban Chicago, IL | Unavailable | $1,033.25 |
How the 62142 rate is calculated
Each of 62142’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 · 62142
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work11.53
11.53 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.81
10.81 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice4.64
4.64 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
26.9800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$901.16
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 62142
62142 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 62142
Cranial implant removal, bone flap or prosthetic plate
| 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 62142
Cranial implant removal, bone flap or prosthetic plate
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
62142 without 51 · national facility
$901.16
Cranial implant removal, bone flap or prosthetic plate
62142-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$450.58
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%).
62142 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 62143Skull reconstructionBone flap or plate replacement
- Choose 62142 for removal of an existing bone flap or prosthetic plate; 62143 describes replacement of that material.
- 62148Bone flap repairRepositioning during skull repair
- 62148 concerns retrieval or repositioning of a bone flap to repair the skull, not simply removal of a flap or plate.
- 62140CranioplastyDefect under 5 cm
- 62140 is for cranioplasty to repair a skull defect up to 5 cm; 62142 is for removing existing cranial material.
- 62141CranioplastyDefect over 5 cm
- 62141 is for cranioplasty to repair a skull defect over 5 cm; 62142 is for removing existing cranial material.
62142 billing questions
How is removal different from replacement of a cranial plate?
62142 describes removing an existing bone flap or prosthetic plate. Code 62143 describes replacement; the operative record should make clear whether removal, replacement, or both procedures were performed.
Can 62142 be reported with 62143?
The codes describe removal and replacement, respectively, but they are not an automatic pair. Report the services supported by the operative work and applicable coding edits.
Does modifier 50 apply when material is removed from both sides?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made for this procedure. 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
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