CPT code 63064: Spinal decompression, thoracic costovertebral approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $1,685.74 for 63064 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 63064 covers

This service involves reaching a thoracic spinal lesion through a costovertebral exposure and decompressing the spinal cord or nerve root at one segment. The surgeon may remove bone or address a herniated thoracic disk as part of the decompression. Spine surgeons, including orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons, typically perform it in a hospital or other facility operating room.

Select the code when the documented approach is costovertebral and the work treats one thoracic segment; identify the level, pathology, approach, and decompression performed. For additional segments, CPT add-on code 63066 may be reported with this primary procedure when its requirements are met. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When other procedures are performed 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 may be made; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, 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 63064 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

63064 rates by state

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

How the 63064 rate is calculated

Each of 63064’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 63064

63064 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

63064 compared with similar codes

How to choose

63055Spinal decompressionThoracic, single segment

Choose 63064 for a costovertebral approach to thoracic decompression; choose 63055 when the surgeon uses a transpedicular approach.

63066Spinal decompressionAdditional thoracic segment

63064 represents the primary thoracic segment. Code 63066 is the add-on for each additional segment treated through the costovertebral approach.

63046Thoracic decompressionSingle vertebral segment

63046 describes thoracic laminectomy, facetectomy, and foraminotomy decompression. Use 63064 when the documented operation uses the costovertebral approach.

63077Thoracic disc surgerySingle interspace, anterior approach

63077 describes thoracic disk surgery through a different approach; 63064 is selected for costovertebral spinal cord or nerve-root decompression.

Codes related to 63064

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