CPT code 63085: Thoracic corpectomy, single vertebral segment2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63085 in California.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 63085 covers

A spine surgeon reports this service when part or all of a thoracic vertebral body is removed to relieve pressure on the spinal cord or a nerve root. The work includes partial or complete removal of the disc at that level. Clinical reasons can include a thoracic vertebral tumor, destructive fracture, or infection causing neural compression. These operations are generally performed in a hospital operating room.

Select this code for one thoracic vertebral segment; document the level, the vertebral body resection, and the neural decompression performed. Additional thoracic segments are reported with the applicable add-on code, not by extending the single-segment service. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. CMS permits assistant-at-surgery, co-surgeon, and team-surgery payment for this service.

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 63085 pays more and less in California

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

29 of 29 payment localities

How the 63085 rate is calculated

Each of 63085’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 63085

63085 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

63085 compared with similar codes

How to choose

63064Spinal decompressionThoracic costovertebral approach

Choose 63085 when thoracic vertebral body resection is performed for neural decompression. Code 63064 describes a different thoracic decompression approach without this corpectomy service.

63086Vertebral corpectomyEach additional thoracic segment

63085 represents the first thoracic vertebral segment; 63086 is the add-on code for each additional thoracic segment.

63087Vertebral body removalThoracolumbar, single segment

Both describe vertebral body resection for neural decompression, but 63087 is for the thoracolumbar region rather than a thoracic segment.

63090Vertebral corpectomyLumbar, abdominal approach

Use 63090 for lumbar vertebral body resection for neural decompression; 63085 is the corresponding single-segment service for the thoracic region.

Codes related to 63085

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