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CPT code 63047: Lumbar decompression, single lumbar segment2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports lumbar decompression involving lamina, facet, and foraminal work to relieve pressure on neural structures at one lumbar segment.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities129.9K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,065.49 for 63047 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 63047

Lumbar decompression, single lumbar segment

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
14.99
Total RVUs
31.90
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,065.49

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 63047 →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 63047 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 63047 covers

A spine surgeon removes portions of the lamina and facet and enlarges the foramen to decompress the cauda equina or lumbar nerve roots at one segment. The operation is commonly performed for lumbar spinal stenosis causing neurogenic claudication or radicular symptoms, in a hospital operating room or ambulatory surgery setting. The procedure may address one or both sides of the segment.

Report the code for one lumbar segment when the operative report supports the decompression and the associated bone removal. The code is priced as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. A 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and other procedures at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made, and co-surgeons are permitted; team-surgery payment 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 63047 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

63047 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$944.52
AlaskaUnavailable$1,268.76
ArizonaUnavailable$1,029.56
ArkansasUnavailable$929.78
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,106.18
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,071.21
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,049.84
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,141.46
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,017.75
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,030.02

63047 rates by state

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

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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.

View every state and territory as a table
63047 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 63047 rate is calculated

Each of 63047’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 · 63047

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work14.99

14.99 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense12.03

12.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice4.88

4.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

31.9000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,065.49

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 63047

63047 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 63047

Lumbar decompression, single lumbar segment

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)2Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%.
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 · 63047

Lumbar decompression, single lumbar segment

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

63047 without 51 · national facility

$1,065.49

Lumbar decompression, single lumbar segment

63047-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$532.75

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

63047 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 63047

    Lumbar decompression, single lumbar segment14.99 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63048

    Spinal decompression, each additional vertebral segment3.38 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63052

    Spinal decompression, single lumbar segment4.14 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63030

    Lumbar decompression, single interspace11.7 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63017

    Lumbar laminectomy, more than two segments16.9 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

63048Spinal decompressionEach additional vertebral segment
63047 represents the primary single-segment lumbar decompression. 63048 is an add-on for each qualifying additional segment, not a replacement primary code.
63052Spinal decompressionSingle lumbar segment
Use 63052 when the qualifying lumbar decompression is performed during interbody arthrodesis; 63047 describes decompression outside that specific arthrodesis context.
63030Lumbar decompressionSingle interspace
63030 describes a more limited lumbar nerve-root decompression with disc work. Choose 63047 when the documented procedure includes the broader lamina, facet, and foraminal decompression at one segment.
63017Lumbar laminectomyMore than two segments
63017 is for lumbar decompression across more than two segments. 63047 represents a single lumbar segment.

Codes related to 63047

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

Codes related to 63047
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Add-on codes
63048Spinal decompression, each additional vertebral segmentAdd-on code for each qualifying additional lumbar segment decompressed.No office rate
Same family
63045Cervical decompression, single vertebral segmentRelated lamina, facet, and foraminal decompression code for a cervical segment.No office rate
63046Thoracic decompression, single vertebral segmentRelated lamina, facet, and foraminal decompression code for a thoracic segment.No office rate
Used instead
63052Spinal decompression, single lumbar segmentUse for qualifying lumbar decompression performed during interbody arthrodesis.No office rate
63030Lumbar decompression, single interspaceA more limited lumbar nerve-root decompression that includes disc work.No office rate
63017Lumbar laminectomy, more than two segmentsFor lumbar decompression extending across more than two segments.No office rate

63047 billing questions

How is this code different from 63030?

This code represents broader bony decompression at a lumbar segment, including facet and foraminal work. 63030 describes a more limited lumbar nerve-root decompression that includes disc work.

Can modifier 50 be used when both sides are decompressed?

The code is already priced as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment. The operative report should document the sides and structures decompressed.

How are additional lumbar segments reported?

For qualifying decompression at each additional segment, report add-on code 63048 with this primary code. Document the distinct segments treated.

Can this code be reported with lumbar fusion?

When the qualifying decompression is performed during lumbar interbody arthrodesis, compare the service with 63052, which describes decompression in that arthrodesis context.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

CMS permits assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeons for this code. Team-surgery payment 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 63047PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,006 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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