CPT code 63003: Thoracic decompression, one or two segments2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $1,198.09 for 63003 nationally in a facility.

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

What 63003 covers

A spine surgeon removes part of the posterior vertebral arch to enlarge the thoracic spinal canal and decompress the spinal cord across one or two vertebral segments. A typical clinical situation is thoracic spinal stenosis with cord compression or myelopathy. This code describes decompression without the additional work of facetectomy, foraminotomy, or discectomy. The service is generally performed in an operating room, commonly in a hospital facility, by an orthopedic spine surgeon or neurosurgeon.

Select the code based on the thoracic region, the number of segments treated, and the work documented in the operative report. The report should identify the treated segments and describe the decompression performed. Medicare 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 and co-surgeon services may be paid; 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 63003 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

63003 rates by state

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

How the 63003 rate is calculated

Each of 63003’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 63003

63003 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

63003 compared with similar codes

How to choose

63016LaminectomyThoracic, more than two segments

Both describe thoracic canal decompression; choose 63003 for one or two segments and 63016 when more than two segments are treated.

63046Thoracic decompressionSingle vertebral segment

63003 is for decompression without facetectomy or foraminotomy. Choose 63046 when the thoracic decompression includes those procedures.

63005Lumbar laminectomyOne or two segments

The segment range is similar, but 63005 applies to the lumbar region; 63003 applies to the thoracic region.

63055Spinal decompressionThoracic, single segment

63055 describes thoracic cord decompression through a transpedicular approach; 63003 describes posterior canal decompression without that approach.

Codes related to 63003

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