CPT code 95977: Stimulator programming, cranial nerve, complex2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Pennsylvania
Reports complex programming of an implanted cranial nerve neurostimulator, such as a vagus nerve stimulator, when more than three parameters are programmed.
Medicare pays $49.28–$52.53 for 95977 in the office in Pennsylvania, from Rest of Pennsylvania to Metropolitan Philadelphia, PA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 95977 covers
This service covers analysis and programming of an implanted cranial nerve neurostimulator, most commonly a vagus nerve stimulator used in epilepsy care. During a device-management visit, a neurologist, epileptologist, neurosurgeon, or other qualified clinician may interrogate the system, assess its function, and adjust stimulation settings using the device programmer. The service is performed in settings where the patient’s implanted system can be evaluated and programmed, including an outpatient clinic.
Choose this code when the clinician programs more than three parameters; the parameter count, not a subjective impression of difficulty, distinguishes complex from simple cranial nerve programming. The record should identify the device and document its evaluation, the programmed parameters and changes, and the clinical reason for adjustment. CMS assigns physician-work and practice-expense values to the service, with distinct office and facility practice-expense inputs.
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 95977 pays more and less in Pennsylvania
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Philadelphia, PA | $52.53 | $43.83 |
| Rest of Pennsylvania | $49.28 | $41.61 |
How the 95977 rate is calculated
Each of 95977’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 · 95977
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.95
0.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.49
0.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.08
0.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.5200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$50.77
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 95977
95977 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.
Place of service · 95977
Which rate does Medicare pay?
The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).
POS 11 · non-facility rate · national
$50.77
- Non-facility (office)
- $50.77
- Facility
- $42.42
Higher because the practice carries its own overhead.
95977 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 95976Stimulator programmingCranial nerve, simple
- Both apply to cranial nerve neurostimulators. Use 95976 for one to three programmed parameters and 95977 for more than three.
- 95970Neurostimulator analysisWithout programming
- 95970 covers implanted neurostimulator analysis without programming; 95977 includes programming of a cranial nerve system.
- 95972Stimulator programmingComplex spinal or peripheral nerve
- 95972 is the complex programming code for spinal cord or peripheral nerve systems. Use 95977 for a cranial nerve system.
- 95983Brain stimulator programmingInitial 15 minutes
- 95983 is for brain neurostimulator programming. 95977 applies to cranial nerve neurostimulators, such as vagus nerve systems.
95977 billing questions
How does this differ from 95976?
Use 95977 when more than three parameters are programmed for a cranial nerve neurostimulator. Code 95976 is for programming one to three parameters.
Can this code be used for a spinal cord stimulator?
No. This code is for a cranial nerve neurostimulator, such as a vagus nerve stimulator. The corresponding complex programming code for a spinal cord or peripheral nerve system is 95972.
Does device interrogation without a setting change qualify?
This code describes programming, not analysis alone. For implanted neurostimulator analysis without programming, consider 95970 when its service description fits.
Is the code selected by visit length?
No. The simple-versus-complex distinction is based on the number of parameters programmed, with more than three supporting 95977. Document the parameter count and changes.
What should the note include?
Document the cranial nerve device, its evaluation, the parameters programmed and their resulting settings, and why the adjustment was made.
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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