CPT code 64885: Nerve graft, head or neck, under 4 cm2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports graft reconstruction of a nerve in the head or neck when the graft length falls in the under-4-cm category.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 64885 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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What 64885 covers
This code represents microsurgical placement of a nerve graft to bridge a gap in a head or neck nerve when the nerve ends cannot be joined directly without tension. It may be used in reconstruction after nerve injury, trauma, or removal of a head or neck tumor; facial nerve reconstruction is one familiar clinical setting. Neurosurgeons, otolaryngologists, and plastic or reconstructive surgeons may perform the procedure, commonly in a hospital operating room. The relevant distinction is the graft’s length category and the head or neck location.
The operative report should identify the nerve and site, explain the need for graft reconstruction, and document graft length and the work performed. 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 multiple procedure reduction. 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 64885 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston, MA | Unavailable | $996.00 |
| Rest of Massachusetts | Unavailable | $935.53 |
How the 64885 rate is calculated
Each of 64885’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 · 64885
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work17.16
17.16 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.15
8.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.50
2.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
27.8100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$928.88
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 64885
64885 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 64885
Nerve graft, head or neck, under 4 cm
| 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 · 64885
Nerve graft, head or neck, under 4 cm
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
64885 without 51 · national facility
$928.88
Nerve graft, head or neck, under 4 cm
64885-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$464.44
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%).
64885 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 64886Nerve graftHead or neck, over 4 cm
- This code is for the shorter head or neck graft-length category; 64886 is the neighboring code for the longer category.
- 64890Nerve graftSingle strand, under 4 cm
- Both involve nerve grafting in a short-length category, but 64890 is for a single-strand graft in the hand or foot rather than the head or neck.
- 64864Facial nerve repairExtracranial nerve
- 64864 describes facial nerve repair, while 64885 is selected for graft reconstruction in the head or neck when the documented graft length fits its category.
64885 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 64886?
Both describe nerve grafting in the head or neck. Choose between them using the documented graft-length category; 64886 is the longer-graft neighbor.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral grafting?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Report the service based on the documented procedure and applicable coding instructions.
What documentation supports the graft-length category?
The operative report should identify the nerve and head or neck site, describe why a graft was needed, and record the graft length.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative visits?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under CMS’s standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons are paid only with 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
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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