CPT code 95976: Stimulator programming, cranial nerve, simple2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $38.08 for 95976 nationally in the office and $31.73 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $35.36–$49.84.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 95976 covers

Code 95976 covers a programming visit for an implanted cranial nerve neurostimulator, most commonly a vagus nerve stimulator used to manage epilepsy. The clinician interrogates the pulse generator, reviews device function and settings, and makes a simple adjustment to the stimulation program. Neurologists and epileptologists commonly perform this work in an outpatient neurology or epilepsy clinic; programming may also occur in a hospital setting when clinically needed.

Report 95976 when simple programming is performed on a cranial nerve device. Documentation should identify the device, the programming performed, settings assessed or changed, and the clinical reason for adjustment. The analysis needed to carry out programming is part of this service, rather than a separate 95970 line for the same work. Use 95970 when the device is analyzed without programming, and 95977 for complex cranial nerve programming. CMS assigns work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs to the service.

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 95976 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

95976 rates by state

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

How the 95976 rate is calculated

Each of 95976’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 95976

95976 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.

95976 compared with similar codes

How to choose

95970Neurostimulator analysisWithout programming

95970 describes analysis without programming. Use 95976 when simple programming of a cranial nerve neurostimulator is performed.

95977Stimulator programmingCranial nerve, complex

95977 is the complex-programming sibling for a cranial nerve neurostimulator; 95976 represents the simple programming level.

95971Neurostimulator programmingSimple spinal/peripheral nerve

95971 is for simple programming of a spinal or peripheral nerve neurostimulator. 95976 applies to a cranial nerve device, such as a vagus nerve stimulator.

95983Brain stimulator programmingInitial 15 minutes

95983 is for programming a brain neurostimulator. Choose 95976 for a cranial nerve neurostimulator instead.

Codes related to 95976

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