CPT code 62351: Spinal catheter, laminectomy approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 62351 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 62351 covers

This service covers placing, revising, or replacing a catheter in the spinal canal for long-term medication delivery when the surgeon uses a laminectomy for access. Neurosurgeons and pain-management surgeons typically perform it in an operating room. Common clinical settings include intrathecal drug delivery for persistent pain or severe spasticity, including therapy that may use an implanted infusion pump.

Choose this code when the documented catheter procedure uses a laminectomy; the related catheter code without laminectomy is 62350. The operative report should support the access approach and describe whether the catheter was implanted, revised, or replaced. A separately implanted pump has its own code when that service is also performed. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made, co-surgeons are permitted, and team surgery is 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 62351 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 62351 rate is calculated

Each of 62351’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 62351

62351 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

62351 compared with similar codes

How to choose

62350Spinal catheterWithout laminectomy

Both cover spinal canal catheter work for long-term medication delivery. The distinguishing factor is access: 62351 involves laminectomy; 62350 does not.

62355Catheter removalWithout laminectomy

62355 describes removal of an implanted spinal canal catheter. Choose 62351 for placement, revision, or replacement involving laminectomy, not removal alone.

62361Spinal pumpPump implantation or replacement

62361 covers implantation of a nonprogrammable infusion pump, rather than the spinal canal catheter. It may be reported with catheter work when both services are performed.

62362Infusion pump implantProgrammable pump

62362 covers implantation of a programmable infusion pump, rather than the spinal canal catheter. It may be reported with catheter work when both services are performed.

Codes related to 62351

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