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CPT code 63270: Spinal lesion excision, cervical, intradural extramedullary2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Cervical laminectomy to remove or evacuate a non-neoplastic lesion within the dura but outside the spinal cord, reported when that site and compartment are documented.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities50 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $2,023.09 for 63270 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 63270

Spinal lesion excision, cervical, intradural extramedullary

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
29.06
Total RVUs
60.57
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$2,023.09

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 63270 →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 63270 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 63270 covers

A spine surgeon, commonly a neurosurgeon, approaches the cervical spinal canal through a laminectomy, opens the dura, and removes or evacuates a non-neoplastic lesion located within the dural sac but outside the spinal cord. A cystic lesion such as an arachnoid cyst may fit when the operative findings establish this location and the lesion is not a neoplasm. The code is specific to the cervical region and the intradural, extramedullary compartment.

The operative report should identify the cervical level, the lesion’s relationship to the dura and spinal cord, and the removal or evacuation performed. This is major surgery with a 90-day global period, including 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 other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.

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 63270 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

63270 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,764.79
AlaskaUnavailable$2,365.99
ArizonaUnavailable$1,944.12
ArkansasUnavailable$1,733.60
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$2,118.72
Austin, TXUnavailable$2,015.53
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,942.82
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$2,182.72
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,936.16
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,934.84

63270 rates by state

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

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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
63270 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 63270 rate is calculated

Each of 63270’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 · 63270

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work29.06

29.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense19.23

19.23 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice12.28

12.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

60.5700

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$2,023.09

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 63270

63270 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 63270

Spinal lesion excision, cervical, intradural extramedullary

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.11/0.76/0.13Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 63270

Spinal lesion excision, cervical, intradural extramedullary

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

63270 without 51 · national facility

$2,023.09

Spinal lesion excision, cervical, intradural extramedullary

63270-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,011.55

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%).

When to use modifier 51

63270 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 63270

    Spinal lesion excision, cervical, intradural extramedullary29.06 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63265

    Spinal lesion removal, cervical extradural, nonneoplastic23.22 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63271

    Spinal lesion excision, thoracic, intradural extramedullary29.17 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63280

    Spinal tumor surgery, cervical, intradural extramedullary29.53 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63285

    Spinal cord lesion, cervical, intramedullary37.1 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

63265Spinal lesion removalCervical extradural, nonneoplastic
Both concern cervical non-neoplastic lesions, but 63265 is for an extradural lesion. Use 63270 when the lesion is inside the dura and outside the cord.
63271Spinal lesion excisionThoracic, intradural extramedullary
The lesion compartment and non-neoplastic status are shared; 63271 is for the thoracic region, while 63270 is cervical.
63280Spinal tumor surgeryCervical, intradural extramedullary
Both address a cervical intradural, extramedullary lesion. Code 63280 is for a neoplasm; 63270 is for a lesion other than a neoplasm.
63285Spinal cord lesionCervical, intramedullary
Code 63285 addresses a cervical intradural lesion within the spinal cord and a neoplasm. Code 63270 concerns a non-neoplastic lesion outside the cord.

Codes related to 63270

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

Codes related to 63270
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
63271Spinal lesion excision, thoracic, intradural extramedullaryThoracic counterpart for non-neoplastic intradural, extramedullary lesion excision.No office rate
63272Spinal lesion surgery, lumbar, non-neoplastic, intraduralLumbar counterpart for non-neoplastic intradural, extramedullary lesion excision.No office rate
63273Spinal lesion surgery, intradural, sacralSacral counterpart for non-neoplastic intradural, extramedullary lesion excision.No office rate
Used instead
63265Spinal lesion removal, cervical extradural, nonneoplasticCervical non-neoplastic lesion excision when the lesion is extradural.No office rate
63280Spinal tumor surgery, cervical, intradural extramedullaryCervical intradural, extramedullary lesion code for a neoplasm.No office rate
63285Spinal cord lesion, cervical, intramedullaryCervical intradural, intramedullary neoplasm procedure; the lesion is within the cord.No office rate

63270 billing questions

How does this differ from code 63265?

Code 63270 is for a non-neoplastic lesion inside the dura and outside the cord. Code 63265 describes the extradural compartment.

When should the thoracic sibling be used instead?

Use 63271 when the non-neoplastic intradural, extramedullary lesion is in the thoracic region. Code 63270 is specific to the cervical region.

What should the operative report document?

Document the cervical site, whether the lesion is intradural and outside the cord, its non-neoplastic character, and the excision or evacuation performed.

Should modifier 50 be appended for bilateral findings?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; modifier 50 should not be used.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons are paid only when supporting documentation is provided; team surgery is not 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
RVUs for 63270PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,047 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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