CPT code 62273: Epidural blood patch, blood or clot patch2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

An epidural blood patch places blood or clot in the epidural space to seal a cerebrospinal fluid leak, commonly after a dural puncture.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities2K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $172.01 for 62273 nationally in the office and $102.21 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $155.24–$218.40.

Medicare rate · 62273

Epidural blood patch, blood or clot patch

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
2.1
Total RVUs
5.15
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$172.01

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 62273 →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 62273 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 62273 covers

An epidural blood patch uses blood, typically the patient’s own, placed into the epidural space to seal a cerebrospinal fluid leak. Anesthesiologists and pain physicians commonly perform it for a post-dural puncture headache after spinal anesthesia, an epidural procedure, or lumbar puncture. The procedure may take place in a hospital, ambulatory facility, or office equipped for neuraxial procedures.

Report 62273 for the patch procedure, rather than for a diagnostic spinal puncture or an epidural injection intended to treat spinal pain. Documentation should identify the leak-related indication, the epidural approach, and the patch performed. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is 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 62273 pays more and less

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

109 payment localities

$155.24 to $218.40

$155.24$186.82$218.40
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

62273 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$157.11$96.03
Alaska$210.10$135.76
Arizona$168.06$100.42
Arkansas$155.24$95.27
Atlanta, GA$175.15$104.23
Austin, TX$176.86$103.00
Bakersfield, CA$179.71$103.20
Baltimore area, MD$181.72$106.82
Beaumont, TX$162.98$99.45
Brazoria, TX$170.18$101.00

62273 rates by state

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

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$155.24

$210.10

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
62273 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$210.101
AL$157.111
AR$155.241
AZ$168.061
CA$179.06–$218.4029
CO$177.391
CT$182.191
DC$193.481
DE$170.521
FL$171.37–$186.633
GA$163.12–$175.152
GU$182.061
HI$182.061
IA$159.721
ID$160.731
IL$167.71–$182.064
IN$161.481
KS$159.431
KY$160.891
LA$160.81–$167.372
MA$176.74–$192.522
MD$173.28–$193.483
ME$161.77–$168.572
MI$164.67–$173.512
MN$169.831
MO$158.74–$167.483
MS$157.001
MT$172.001
NC$163.131
ND$167.851
NE$160.351
NH$175.031
NJ$184.23–$192.092
NM$165.551
NV$170.941
NY$165.19–$200.445
OH$163.821
OK$160.301
OR$169.55–$181.872
PA$163.85–$178.522
PR$172.951
RI$175.721
SC$163.751
SD$167.361
TN$160.131
TX$162.98–$176.868
UT$165.611
VA$168.34–$193.482
VI$172.951
VT$167.601
WA$176.28–$195.772
WI$163.181
WV$162.611
WY$170.191

How the 62273 rate is calculated

Each of 62273’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 · 62273

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work2.10

2.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense2.84

2.84 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.21

0.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

5.1500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$172.01

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 62273

The CMS indicators that decide how 62273 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 62273

Epidural blood patch, blood or clot patch

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

62273 without 51 · national office

$172.01

Epidural blood patch, blood or clot patch

62273-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$86.01

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%).

When to use modifier 51

62273 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 62273

    Epidural blood patch, blood or clot patch2.1 wRVU

    $172.01

  • 62270

    Lumbar puncture, diagnostic, no imaging guidance1.19 wRVU

    $165.00−$7.01

  • 62272

    Therapeutic lumbar puncture, CSF drainage1.54 wRVU

    $216.77+$44.76

  • 62323

    Lumbar epidural injection, interlaminar or caudal, with imaging guidance1.76 wRVU

    $273.22+$101.21

How to choose

62270Lumbar punctureDiagnostic, no imaging guidance
62270 is a diagnostic lumbar puncture to obtain cerebrospinal fluid. Choose 62273 when blood or clot is placed in the epidural space to seal a leak.
62272Therapeutic lumbar punctureCSF drainage
62272 describes therapeutic spinal puncture for cerebrospinal fluid drainage. It does not describe an epidural blood patch.
62323Lumbar epidural injectionInterlaminar or caudal, with imaging guidance
62323 is an epidural injection for medication treatment of spinal pain, not a blood or clot patch for a cerebrospinal fluid leak.

62273 billing questions

When should 62273 be chosen over a diagnostic lumbar puncture?

Use 62273 for an epidural blood or clot patch intended to seal a cerebrospinal fluid leak. A diagnostic lumbar puncture obtains cerebrospinal fluid for evaluation; it is not the patch treatment.

Is the blood draw separately reported as part of the patch?

The patch service is the epidural placement of blood or clot. Documentation should support the patch performed; do not report the blood volume as additional units of 62273.

Can modifier 50 be used for a bilateral blood patch?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 should not be used.

How does the 0-day global period affect same-day care?

Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure’s 0-day global period.

What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?

Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50% when performed in the same session.

Can an assistant or surgical team be reported for 62273?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted. CMS also does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this code.

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 62273PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,950 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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