CPT code 63066: Spinal decompression, additional thoracic segment2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Michigan
Reports decompression at an additional thoracic segment performed through a costovertebral approach, alongside the primary procedure for that approach.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63066 in Michigan.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 63066 covers
A spine surgeon reports 63066 for decompression at an additional thoracic segment using a costovertebral approach. The operation may involve removing part or all of a vertebral body to reach and relieve pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots, with or without reconstruction. This is an operative service, generally performed in a hospital or other surgical setting; it is not a separate diagnostic or office procedure.
Use 63066 only for an additional segment and report it with the corresponding primary costovertebral procedure, 63064. The operative report should identify the thoracic levels treated, the approach, the decompression performed, and which segment represents the primary service versus each additional segment. CMS classifies this as an add-on code: it is billed only with a primary procedure and its payment falls within that procedure’s global period.
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 63066 pays more and less in Michigan
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI | Unavailable | $216.89 |
| Rest of Michigan | Unavailable | $190.22 |
How the 63066 rate is calculated
Each of 63066’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 · 63066
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.18
3.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.11
1.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.33
1.33 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.6200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$187.71
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63066
The CMS indicators that decide how 63066 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 63066
Spinal decompression, additional thoracic segment
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 80 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
63066 without 80 · national facility
$187.71
Spinal decompression, additional thoracic segment
63066-80 · Assistant: 16%
$30.03
A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.
63066 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63064Spinal decompressionThoracic costovertebral approach
- 63064 covers the primary thoracic segment treated through the costovertebral approach; 63066 is for additional segments in that operative service.
- 63057Spinal decompressionEach additional thoracic or lumbar segment
- Both are additional-segment codes, but 63057 is associated with a transpedicular approach, while 63066 is associated with a costovertebral approach.
- 63055Spinal decompressionThoracic, single segment
- 63055 reports the primary thoracic transpedicular decompression service. For additional segments with that approach, the related add-on code is 63057, not 63066.
63066 billing questions
When should 63066 be reported instead of 63064?
Report 63064 for the primary thoracic segment treated through the costovertebral approach. Use 63066 for each additional segment treated by that approach.
Can 63066 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with the corresponding primary procedure, 63064.
How should the operative note support additional units?
Document the thoracic segments treated and the decompression performed at each one. The record should distinguish the primary segment from each additional segment.
How does 63066 differ from 63057?
Both describe additional-segment decompression, but 63066 is for the costovertebral approach. Code 63057 is the additional-segment code associated with a transpedicular approach.
What is the payment relationship to the primary procedure?
CMS treats 63066 as an add-on billed with a primary procedure, with payment within that procedure’s global period.
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
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