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CPT code 63015: Cervical decompression, more than two segments2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Posterior cervical decompression involving laminectomy, facetectomy, and foraminotomy across more than two vertebral segments for spinal cord or nerve root compression.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities4.8K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,444.59 for 63015 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 63015

Cervical decompression, more than two segments

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
20.33
Total RVUs
43.25
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,444.59

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 63015 →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 63015 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 63015 covers

A spine surgeon performs a posterior cervical decompression by removing lamina and, as needed for the decompression, portions of facets and bone around the neural openings. The operation addresses compression of the cervical spinal cord or nerve roots, such as multilevel cervical spinal stenosis. It is performed in an operating room, generally in a hospital or other surgical facility, rather than as an office service.

Report 63015 when the documented cervical decompression spans more than two vertebral segments and includes the described operative work; the operative report should identify the levels treated and the decompression performed. The lamina, facet, and foramen work is part of this service, not a separate report of the same operative work. Medicare applies a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeons are permitted; team surgery is not.

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 63015 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

63015 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,267.98
AlaskaUnavailable$1,699.27
ArizonaUnavailable$1,391.27
ArkansasUnavailable$1,246.57
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,507.32
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,445.31
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,403.46
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,554.28
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,380.66
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,387.88

63015 rates by state

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

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

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

View every state and territory as a table
63015 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 63015 rate is calculated

Each of 63015’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 · 63015

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work20.33

20.33 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense15.08

15.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice7.84

7.84 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

43.2500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,444.59

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 63015

63015 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 63015

Cervical decompression, more than two segments

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)2Permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.11/0.76/0.13Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 63015

Cervical decompression, more than two segments

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

63015 without 51 · national facility

$1,444.59

Cervical decompression, more than two segments

63015-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$722.30

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

63015 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 63015

    Cervical decompression, more than two segments20.33 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63001

    Cervical laminectomy, one or two segments17.17 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63045

    Cervical decompression, single vertebral segment17.5 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63020

    Cervical laminotomy, single interspace14.54 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

63001Cervical laminectomyOne or two segments
63001 describes cervical decompression without facetectomy or foraminotomy and is for one or two vertebral segments. Use 63015 when the described facet and foraminal work is performed across more than two segments.
63045Cervical decompressionSingle vertebral segment
63045 is the cervical laminectomy, facetectomy, and foraminotomy service for a single vertebral segment. 63015 is selected when the decompression spans more than two segments.
63020Cervical laminotomySingle interspace
63020 describes a laminotomy-based cervical nerve root decompression at one interspace. 63015 describes a broader multilevel cervical decompression for more than two vertebral segments.

Codes related to 63015

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

Codes related to 63015
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
63001Cervical laminectomy, one or two segmentsCervical cord or cauda equina decompression without the facetectomy or foraminotomy work described here.No office rate
63020Cervical laminotomy, single interspaceLaminotomy-based cervical nerve root decompression for a more focal, single-interspace service.No office rate
Same family
63016Laminectomy, thoracic, more than two segmentsCorresponding more-than-two-segment laminectomy decompression for the thoracic region.No office rate
63017Lumbar laminectomy, more than two segmentsCorresponding more-than-two-segment laminectomy decompression for the lumbar region.No office rate
63045Cervical decompression, single vertebral segmentCervical laminectomy, facetectomy, and foraminotomy when one vertebral segment is treated.No office rate

63015 billing questions

When is 63015 selected instead of 63045?

63015 is for cervical decompression spanning more than two vertebral segments. 63045 describes the corresponding decompression at a single vertebral segment.

Can the laminectomy, facetectomy, and foraminotomy be reported separately?

Those elements comprise the decompression represented by 63015. Do not separately report the same operative work as though it were an independent service.

Should modifier 50 be appended for bilateral decompression?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, even when the operative work is bilateral.

How many units should be reported for several cervical levels?

Select 63015 when more than two vertebral segments are treated; do not use units to count each treated segment. The operative report should establish the levels and extent of decompression.

How does Medicare handle other procedures 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%.

Can an assistant or another surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeons are permitted for 63015. Team surgery is 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
RVUs for 63015PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,993 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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