CPT code 95983: Brain stimulator programming, initial 15 minutes2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Report this service for the first 15 minutes of evaluating and adjusting an implanted brain neurostimulator, such as a deep brain stimulation system.
Medicare pays $52.71–$56.35 for 95983 in the office in Massachusetts, from Rest of Massachusetts to Metropolitan Boston, MA. 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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What 95983 covers
A clinician evaluates an implanted brain neurostimulator and changes its settings to address the patient’s symptoms or stimulation-related effects. This commonly involves deep brain stimulation for conditions such as Parkinson disease, essential tremor, or dystonia. The clinician reviews device status and stimulation parameters, assesses the patient’s response, and programs the system during the encounter. Neurologists, neurosurgeons, and other qualified clinicians who manage these devices typically perform the service in an office or hospital setting.
Report 95983 for the initial 15 minutes of analysis with programming. The record should support the time spent, the device and settings evaluated or changed, and the clinical reason for programming, such as persistent symptoms or unwanted effects. When the work extends beyond the initial interval, 95984 represents each additional 15 minutes and is reported with 95983. Use 95970 when the brain device is analyzed without programming; programming a spinal, peripheral nerve, or cranial nerve stimulator is represented by different codes.
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 95983 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston, MA | $56.35 | $44.79 |
| Rest of Massachusetts | $52.71 | $42.51 |
How the 95983 rate is calculated
Each of 95983’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 · 95983
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.91
0.91 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.56
0.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.08
0.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.5500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$51.77
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 95983
95983 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 · 95983
Which rate does Medicare pay?
The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).
POS 11 · non-facility rate · national
$51.77
- Non-facility (office)
- $51.77
- Facility
- $42.09
Higher because the practice carries its own overhead.
95983 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 95970Neurostimulator analysisWithout programming
- 95970 covers analysis of a brain neurostimulator without programming. Choose 95983 when the clinician also changes device settings.
- 95984Brain stimulator programmingEach additional 15 minutes
- 95983 covers the initial 15 minutes of brain neurostimulator analysis with programming; 95984 reports each additional 15 minutes.
- 95976Stimulator programmingCranial nerve, simple
- 95976 is for programming a cranial nerve neurostimulator, such as a vagal nerve stimulator. 95983 is for an implanted brain neurostimulator.
95983 billing questions
When should 95983 be used instead of 95970?
Use 95983 when the brain neurostimulator is analyzed and programmed. Use 95970 when the service is analysis without programming.
What code reports programming time beyond the initial 15 minutes?
Report 95984 for each additional 15 minutes, in addition to 95983. Document the programming time supporting the additional service.
Can 95983 be reported for a spinal cord stimulator adjustment?
No. This code is for a brain neurostimulator; spinal or peripheral nerve stimulator programming is reported with the applicable code for that device.
What documentation supports 95983?
Document the implanted brain device, the programming performed, the clinical reason for the adjustment, the patient’s response, and the time spent.
Is 95983 reported for a deep brain stimulation programming visit?
It may be reported when the visit includes analysis and programming of the implanted brain stimulator. The condition being treated alone does not establish that programming occurred.
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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