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CPT code 63078: Thoracic disk surgery, each additional interspace2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports anterior thoracic disk removal with spinal cord or nerve root decompression at each additional interspace beyond the primary thoracic level.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $188.72 for 63078 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 63078

Thoracic disk surgery, each additional interspace

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
3.2
Total RVUs
5.65
Global days
ZZZ

National rate · 2026

$188.72

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 63078 →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 63078 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 63078 covers

This add-on represents treatment of an additional thoracic disk interspace through an anterior approach, removing disk material and decompressing the spinal cord or nerve root; associated bone spurs may also be removed. It is typically performed by a spine surgeon or neurosurgeon in an operating room for thoracic disk disease causing cord or nerve root compression. The code describes another interspace treated, not another piece of disk removed from the same space.

Report 63078 only with the primary thoracic interspace procedure, 63077. The operative report should identify the thoracic interspaces treated and document the anterior disk removal and neural decompression at each additional space. CMS classifies 63078 as an add-on code: it is billed with a primary procedure and paid 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 63078 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

63078 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$164.76
AlaskaUnavailable$224.64
ArizonaUnavailable$181.16
ArkansasUnavailable$161.90
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$198.56
Austin, TXUnavailable$186.03
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$176.97
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$203.68
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$182.19
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$179.46

63078 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
63078 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 63078 rate is calculated

Each of 63078’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 · 63078

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work3.20

3.20 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense1.12

1.12 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.33

1.33 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

5.6500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$188.72

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 63078

The CMS indicators that decide how 63078 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 63078

Thoracic disk surgery, each additional interspace

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodZZZAdd-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
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.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 80 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

63078 without 80 · national facility

$188.72

Thoracic disk surgery, each additional interspace

63078-80 · Assistant: 16%

$30.20

A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.

When to use modifier 80

63078 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 63078

    Thoracic disk surgery, each additional interspace3.2 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63077

    Thoracic disc surgery, single interspace, anterior approach22.31 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63076

    Cervical decompression, each additional interspace3.94 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63055

    Spinal decompression, thoracic, single segment22.96 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63086

    Vertebral corpectomy, each additional thoracic segment3.11 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

63077Thoracic disc surgerySingle interspace, anterior approach
63077 reports the primary thoracic interspace procedure; 63078 reports each additional thoracic interspace and must accompany the primary code.
63076Cervical decompressionEach additional interspace
Both are add-on codes for an additional interspace, but 63076 applies to the cervical region and 63078 to the thoracic region.
63055Spinal decompressionThoracic, single segment
63055 describes thoracic disk decompression through a transpedicular approach; 63078 is for an additional interspace treated with the anterior disk procedure.
63086Vertebral corpectomyEach additional thoracic segment
63086 adds another thoracic vertebral body removal for decompression; 63078 adds another thoracic interspace treated by disk surgery.

Codes related to 63078

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

Codes related to 63078
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Add-on codes
63077Thoracic disc surgery, single interspace, anterior approachPrimary thoracic interspace procedure required with this add-on.No office rate
Used instead
63076Cervical decompression, each additional interspaceAdditional interspace code for the cervical region rather than the thoracic region.No office rate
63075Cervical discectomy, single interspace below C2Primary anterior disk procedure for a cervical interspace.No office rate
63085Thoracic corpectomy, single vertebral segmentThoracic vertebral body removal for decompression, rather than additional-space disk surgery.No office rate
Same family
63086Vertebral corpectomy, each additional thoracic segmentAdd-on code for additional thoracic vertebral body removal.No office rate

63078 billing questions

What primary code must accompany 63078?

Report 63078 with 63077 for the primary thoracic interspace. It is not reported by itself.

When is 63078 used instead of 63077?

Use 63077 for the primary thoracic interspace and 63078 for each additional thoracic interspace treated by the anterior disk procedure.

What documentation supports an additional unit?

The operative report should identify each additional thoracic interspace and describe disk removal and spinal cord or nerve root decompression there.

Is 63078 paid outside the primary procedure’s global period?

No. CMS identifies it as an add-on code paid within the primary procedure’s global period.

Does 63078 describe removal of another disk fragment?

No. It represents treatment of an additional interspace, not additional material removed from the same interspace.

How does 63078 differ from thoracic vertebral body removal?

63078 describes an additional interspace treated through an anterior disk procedure. Code 63086 is an add-on for additional thoracic vertebral body removal performed for decompression.

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 63078PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,020 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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