CPT code 63101: Vertebral resection, thoracic, single segment2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports partial or complete removal of a thoracic vertebral body to decompress the spinal cord or nerve roots at one segment.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63101 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.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 63101 covers
An orthopedic spine surgeon or neurosurgeon removes part or all of a thoracic vertebral body when it contributes to spinal cord or nerve root compression. The operation is performed in a surgical setting and may address structural disease such as a vertebral lesion or traumatic collapse when direct neural decompression requires vertebral-body removal. The code represents one thoracic segment.
Report 63101 when the operative note identifies the thoracic level and documents vertebral-body resection for neural decompression; use 63102 for the lumbar region. Code 63103 may be reported for each additional segment with the primary procedure. The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not 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 63101 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
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | Unavailable | $2,146.08 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $2,114.06 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $2,116.10 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $2,114.06 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $2,114.06 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $2,253.75 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $2,114.06 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $2,388.66 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $2,114.06 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $2,114.06 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $2,308.84 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $2,221.88 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $2,114.06 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $2,114.06 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $2,244.56 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $2,181.98 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $2,173.63 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $2,459.11 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $2,200.82 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $2,374.79 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $2,144.11 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $2,402.38 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $2,201.65 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $2,175.19 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $2,220.73 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $2,114.06 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $2,288.84 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $2,114.06 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $2,114.06 |
How the 63101 rate is calculated
Each of 63101’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 · 63101
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work33.25
33.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense20.92
20.92 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice12.22
12.22 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
66.3900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$2,217.49
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63101
63101 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63101
Vertebral resection, thoracic, 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) | 0 | Not 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 · 63101
Vertebral resection, thoracic, 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
63101 without 51 · national facility
$2,217.49
Vertebral resection, thoracic, single segment
63101-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,108.75
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%).
63101 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63102Vertebral resectionLumbar, lateral extracavitary approach
- Use 63101 for a thoracic segment and 63102 for a lumbar segment. The treated region, not the degree of vertebral-body removal, distinguishes them.
- 63103Vertebral body removalEach additional segment
- 63101 reports the primary thoracic segment. 63103 is the add-on for each additional segment, rather than a replacement for the primary code.
- 63085Thoracic corpectomySingle vertebral segment
- 63085 describes an approach-specific thoracic corpectomy. Compare the operative approach and the applicable descriptor; thoracic location alone does not determine the code.
63101 billing questions
How is 63101 distinguished from 63102?
63101 is for thoracic vertebral-body resection for decompression; 63102 is the lumbar-region counterpart. The operative documentation should establish the anatomic region treated.
When is 63103 reported with 63101?
63103 is the add-on code for each additional vertebral segment treated. Report 63101 for the first thoracic segment and use 63103 for qualifying additional segments.
What should the operative note document?
Document the thoracic level, the vertebral body or bodies resected, and how the resection decompresses the spinal cord or nerve roots. The note should support the number of segments reported.
How does the multiple-procedure payment rule affect 63101?
When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and pays the others at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only when supporting documentation is provided.
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
Fee sheets
Put 63101 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Build my fee sheet