CPT code 62201: Ventriculostomy, by neuroendoscopy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 62201 in California.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 62201 covers

A neurosurgeon uses a ventricular endoscope to create an opening in the floor of the third ventricle, allowing cerebrospinal fluid to flow into the basal cisterns and bypass an obstruction. The procedure is used for selected patients with obstructive hydrocephalus, such as from aqueductal stenosis. It is generally performed in an operating room through a cranial access route; it creates an internal drainage pathway rather than implanting a shunt to another body cavity.

Report this code when the third-ventricle opening is created by neuroendoscopy. The operative report should support the endoscopic approach and the creation of the ventriculocisternostomy; a separately placed ventriculoperitoneal or ventriculoatrial shunt is a different service. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted, and 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 62201 pays more and less in California

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

29 of 29 payment localities

How the 62201 rate is calculated

Each of 62201’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 62201

62201 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

62201 compared with similar codes

How to choose

62200CSF shuntNew intracranial shunt

Choose 62201 when the third-ventricle opening is created by neuroendoscopy; 62200 describes the related procedure without that approach.

62220CSF shuntTo extracranial site

62220 establishes a ventricular shunt to a venous destination. This code creates an internal cerebrospinal fluid pathway through the third-ventricle floor.

62223CSF shunt creationPeritoneal, pleural, or other terminus

62223 establishes a ventricular shunt to a body cavity, such as the peritoneum. This code creates an internal pathway without that shunt destination.

Codes related to 62201

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates