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Billing code 61156: Burr-hole aspirationMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports neurosurgical burr-hole aspiration of an intracerebral hematoma or cyst, rather than drainage of an extra-axial collection or an abscess.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities177 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,224.14 for 61156 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 61156

Burr-hole aspiration

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
17.01
Total RVUs
36.65
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,224.14

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 61156 → · Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 61156 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 61156 covers

A neurosurgeon creates a burr-hole opening in the skull and aspirates a hematoma or cyst located within brain tissue. The service is generally performed in a hospital operating room for a patient whose intracerebral collection requires operative aspiration; the operative record should identify the target and its intracerebral location. This code distinguishes aspiration of a hematoma or cyst within the brain from procedures directed at collections outside the brain or other lesion treatments.

Report the code when the documented procedure is burr-hole aspiration of the intracerebral target. The operative report should support the site, diagnosis, and aspiration performed. Medicare 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires 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 61156 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

61156 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,068.66
Alaska*Unavailable$1,428.62
ArizonaUnavailable$1,176.93
ArkansasUnavailable$1,049.84
AtlantaUnavailable$1,280.34
AustinUnavailable$1,222.42
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,182.10
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,320.12
BeaumontUnavailable$1,169.62
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,172.61

61156 rates by state

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

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
61156 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 61156 rate is calculated

Each of 61156’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 · 61156

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 17.01Practice expense 12.52Malpractice 7.12

36.6500 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,224.14

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 61156

61156 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 61156

Burr-hole aspiration

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.11/0.76/0.13Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 61156

Burr-hole aspiration

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.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

61156 without 51 · national facility

$1,224.14

Burr-hole aspiration

61156-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$612.07

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%).

When to use modifier 51

61156 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

61156 vs 61154 vs 61150 vs 61750 vs 61140: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 61156
    Burr-hole aspiration · 17.01 wRVU
    —
  • 61154
    Hematoma drainage · 16.64 wRVU
    —
  • 61150
    Intracranial drainage · 18.43 wRVU
    —
  • 61750
    Brain biopsy · 19.33 wRVU
    —
  • 61140
    Brain biopsy · 16.8 wRVU
    —

How to choose

61154Hematoma drainage
Use 61156 for aspiration of an intracerebral hematoma or cyst. Use 61154 when the hematoma is extradural or subdural and is evacuated or drained.
61150Intracranial drainage
61150 is directed to drainage of a brain abscess or cyst. 61156 describes aspiration of an intracerebral hematoma or cyst.
61750Brain biopsy
61750 describes stereotactic biopsy, aspiration, or excision of an intracranial lesion. 61156 describes burr-hole aspiration of an intracerebral hematoma or cyst without that stereotactic service.
61140Brain biopsy
61140 is for burr-hole or trephine biopsy of brain tissue or an intracranial lesion. 61156 is for aspiration of an intracerebral hematoma or cyst, not tissue sampling.

Codes related to 61156

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 61156
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
61154Hematoma drainageTreats an extradural or subdural hematoma rather than an intracerebral collection.No office rate
61150Intracranial drainageFor burr-hole drainage of a brain abscess or cyst.No office rate
61750Brain biopsyStereotactic aspiration of an intracranial lesion uses a different operative approach.No office rate

61156 billing questions

How does this differ from 61154?

61156 is for aspiration of a hematoma or cyst within brain tissue. 61154 addresses evacuation or drainage of an extradural or subdural hematoma.

When would 61150 be more appropriate?

61150 describes burr-hole drainage of a brain abscess or cyst. Choose based on the procedure performed and the documented target; 61156 specifies aspiration of an intracerebral hematoma or cyst.

What documentation supports 61156?

The operative report should identify the intracerebral location and hematoma or cyst, and describe aspiration through a burr hole.

Are related postoperative visits separately included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction when performed in the same session.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires 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
RVUs for 61156PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,752 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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