CPT code 63081: Cervical corpectomy, single segment2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports anterior removal of part or all of a cervical vertebral body to decompress the spinal cord or nerve roots at one segment.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63081 in Missouri.
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 63081 covers
A spine surgeon performs this operation through an anterior neck approach, removing part or all of a cervical vertebral body to relieve spinal cord or nerve-root compression. It is commonly used for cervical myelopathy or other compression that cannot be adequately addressed by removing disc material alone. The procedure is typically performed in an operating room, often with reconstruction or fusion after decompression.
Report one unit for the single cervical segment treated; use the additional-segment code when the operation extends to further segments. The operative report should identify the cervical level, anterior approach, extent of vertebral-body resection, and the neural compression addressed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 63081 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | $1,621.58 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | $1,635.58 |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | $1,580.57 |
How the 63081 rate is calculated
Each of 63081’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 · 63081
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work25.45
25.45 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense15.61
15.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice8.64
8.64 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
49.7000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,660.02
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63081
63081 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63081
Cervical corpectomy, single segment
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| 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) | 2 | Permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.11/0.76/0.13 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 63081
Cervical corpectomy, single 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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
63081 without 51 · national facility
$1,660.02
Cervical corpectomy, single segment
63081-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$830.01
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%).
63081 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63082Vertebral decompressionAdditional cervical segment
- This code covers the initial cervical segment; 63082 is for each additional cervical segment treated in the same corpectomy service.
- 63075Cervical discectomySingle interspace below C2
- Choose 63075 for anterior cervical disc decompression without vertebral-body resection. Choose this code when removal of vertebral-body bone is needed for decompression.
- 63045Cervical decompressionSingle vertebral segment
- 63045 describes posterior cervical decompression. This code represents anterior cervical vertebral-body removal.
- 63085Thoracic corpectomySingle vertebral segment
- 63085 is the corresponding vertebral-body decompression code for the thoracic region; this code is for the cervical region.
63081 billing questions
When is this code preferable to cervical discectomy code 63075?
Use this code when decompression requires removal of part or all of a cervical vertebral body. Code 63075 describes an anterior cervical disc procedure rather than vertebral-body resection.
Can the additional-segment code be reported with this procedure?
Yes. Report 63082 for each additional cervical segment treated beyond the segment represented by this code, with documentation identifying the additional level.
Can a separate discectomy be reported at the corpectomy level?
Disc removal that is part of the anterior corpectomy and decompression is integral to the operation. Separately report a distinct service only when it is independently supported and not part of that work.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should establish the anterior cervical approach, the vertebral level, the extent of body removal, and the spinal cord or nerve-root compression treated.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period. CMS applies the standard multiple-procedure reduction when other procedures are performed in the same session.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is 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
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