CPT code 63305: Vertebral resection, thoracic, intradural lesion2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports thoracic vertebral body resection performed to remove or access an intradural spinal lesion when that level and lesion location match the service.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63305 in Massachusetts.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 63305 covers
This major spine operation removes part or all of a thoracic vertebral body as part of treating an intraspinal lesion located within the dura. Neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons may perform it in a hospital operating room, often for an intradural tumor such as a meningioma or schwannoma when vertebral body resection is part of the operative approach. The code is specific to the thoracic region and the intradural location; it does not describe an ordinary vertebral body tumor resection.
Select the code from the documented lesion location and spinal region, and retain the operative report describing the lesion and vertebral resection. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this service. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires 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 63305 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston, MA | Unavailable | $2,557.21 |
| Rest of Massachusetts | Unavailable | $2,376.83 |
How the 63305 rate is calculated
Each of 63305’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 · 63305
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work35.33
35.33 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense22.19
22.19 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice14.93
14.93 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
72.4500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$2,419.90
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63305
63305 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63305
Vertebral resection, thoracic, intradural lesion
| 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 · 63305
Vertebral resection, thoracic, intradural lesion
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
63305 without 51 · national facility
$2,419.90
Vertebral resection, thoracic, intradural lesion
63305-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,209.95
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%).
63305 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63301Vertebral resectionThoracic, extradural lesion
- Use 63301 for a thoracic extradural lesion; use 63305 when the lesion is intradural. The operative report should support the lesion's relationship to the dura.
- 63304Spinal lesion surgeryCervical, intradural
- 63304 describes the intradural service in the cervical region. 63305 is for the thoracic region.
- 63306Vertebral resectionIntradural, thoracolumbar
- 63306 is for the thoracolumbar region, while 63305 is limited to the thoracic region.
- 63308Vertebral resectionEach additional segment
- 63308 is an add-on for an additional vertebral segment, not the primary thoracic intradural lesion service reported by 63305.
63305 billing questions
How does this differ from 63301?
Both codes are for the thoracic region, but 63305 addresses an intradural lesion and 63301 an extradural lesion. The operative documentation should establish which side of the dura contains the lesion.
When would 63308 be reported with 63305?
63308 is an add-on for each additional vertebral segment when the requirements for that additional resection are met. The operative report should identify the additional segment; it is not a replacement for the primary code.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. This code describes work at the thoracic spine, not a paired left-and-right service, so modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; 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
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