CPT code 63280: Spinal tumor surgery, cervical, intradural extramedullary2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $2,062.51 for 63280 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 63280 covers

A neurosurgeon uses an open approach, typically with a laminectomy and opening of the dura, to biopsy or remove a cervical spinal tumor that lies within the dural sac but outside the spinal cord. Examples of intradural extramedullary tumors include spinal meningiomas and schwannomas. These procedures are generally performed in a hospital operating room when imaging and clinical findings support tissue diagnosis or removal.

Select this code when the operative report supports a neoplasm, a cervical level, and an intradural but extramedullary location; distinguish it from extradural lesions and tumors arising within the cord. Document the level, lesion location, and whether the surgeon obtained a biopsy or performed excision. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For separately reportable procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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 63280 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

63280 rates by state

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

How the 63280 rate is calculated

Each of 63280’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 63280

63280 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

63280 compared with similar codes

How to choose

63275Spinal lesion surgeryCervical, extradural

Choose 63280 for a cervical tumor within the dura and outside the cord; 63275 is for a tumor outside the dura.

63285Spinal cord lesionCervical, intramedullary

Choose 63280 for a cervical intradural tumor outside the spinal cord. Code 63285 is for a tumor within the cord.

63281Spinal lesion surgeryThoracic intradural lesion

The lesion compartment and procedure are the same, but 63281 is for the thoracic level rather than the cervical level.

Codes related to 63280

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