CPT code 63090: Vertebral corpectomy, lumbar, abdominal approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $1,822.02 for 63090 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 63090 covers

This code describes removal of part or all of one lumbar vertebral body through an abdominal route, entering through the peritoneum or working behind it. The resection also relieves pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. A spine surgeon typically performs the procedure in a hospital operating room; an access surgeon may assist with the abdominal exposure. The operative report should establish the lumbar level, extent of vertebral body removal, approach, and neural decompression performed.

Report this code for one lumbar segment when the documented approach matches the transperitoneal or retroperitoneal route. A separate add-on code is available for each additional segment. 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. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this single-segment service. CMS permits assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeon or team-surgery billing.

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 63090 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

63090 rates by state

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

How the 63090 rate is calculated

Each of 63090’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 63090

63090 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

63090 compared with similar codes

How to choose

63087Vertebral body removalThoracolumbar, single segment

Both address lumbar vertebral body resection with neural decompression. Choose based on the documented approach: 63090 is transperitoneal or retroperitoneal, while 63087 uses a combined thoracolumbar approach.

63091Vertebral body removalAdditional lumbar segment

63090 represents the primary single lumbar segment; 63091 is the add-on for each additional segment treated through the corresponding approach.

63085Thoracic corpectomySingle vertebral segment

63085 is the thoracic-level counterpart. Select 63090 when the treated vertebral body is lumbar and the approach is transperitoneal or retroperitoneal.

Codes related to 63090

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