CPT code 96450: Chemotherapy administration, into central nervous system2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $160.99 for 96450 nationally in the office and $66.47 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $143.89–$210.95.

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

What 96450 covers

This service covers delivery of chemotherapy into the central nervous system, most commonly by an intrathecal route through a lumbar puncture. It may be performed in an oncology or hematology clinic, hospital outpatient department, or other setting where CNS-directed treatment is administered. Patients may receive it for conditions such as CNS leukemia or leptomeningeal disease. Administration through an intraventricular access device is also a CNS route.

Select this code based on the route of drug delivery, not the drug name or the diagnosis alone. Documentation should identify the medication, CNS route, access method, and completed administration. The spinal puncture used to access the treatment site is included in this service. The chemotherapy drug itself is separate from the administration service when separately reportable. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires medical-necessity documentation; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 96450 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

96450 rates by state

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

How the 96450 rate is calculated

Each of 96450’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 96450

The CMS indicators that decide how 96450 is paid alongside other services.

96450 compared with similar codes

How to choose

96401Chemotherapy injectionSubcutaneous or intramuscular, nonhormonal

96450 is for CNS-directed delivery, such as intrathecal chemotherapy. 96401 is used for subcutaneous or intramuscular chemotherapy.

96440Pleural chemotherapyWith thoracentesis

Choose 96450 for delivery into the central nervous system; 96440 describes chemotherapy delivered into the pleural cavity.

96446Chemotherapy administrationPeritoneal cavity via catheter

Choose 96450 for CNS delivery; 96446 is for chemotherapy administered into the peritoneal cavity.

Codes related to 96450

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