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Billing code 61514: Brain abscess surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports open cranial surgery to excise a brain abscess located above the tentorium, performed by a neurosurgeon in an operative setting.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities224 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,857.42 for 61514 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 61514

Brain abscess surgery

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
26.55
Total RVUs
55.61
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,857.42

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 61514 → · 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 61514 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 61514 covers

A neurosurgeon uses a cranial opening, such as a craniectomy, trephination, or bone-flap craniotomy, to reach and excise an abscess in the supratentorial brain. This code is for operative treatment of an intracranial infection, rather than removal of a tumor or meningioma. The service is typically performed in a hospital operating room, with the operative report identifying the abscess and its location above the tentorium.

Report the code when the operative service matches the supratentorial abscess procedure, not merely because imaging or pathology identifies an abscess. Documentation should describe the cranial approach, target and location, and work performed to excise it. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period are included. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation. 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 61514 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

61514 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,622.05
Alaska*Unavailable$2,174.20
ArizonaUnavailable$1,785.63
ArkansasUnavailable$1,593.60
AtlantaUnavailable$1,943.89
AustinUnavailable$1,852.01
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,787.71
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$2,003.00
BeaumontUnavailable$1,777.08
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,777.91

61514 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
61514 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 61514 rate is calculated

Each of 61514’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 · 61514

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 26.55Practice expense 18.01Malpractice 11.05

55.6100 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,857.42

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 61514

61514 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 61514

Brain abscess surgery

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 · 61514

Brain abscess surgery

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

61514 without 51 · national facility

$1,857.42

Brain abscess surgery

61514-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$928.71

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

61514 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

61514 vs 61510 vs 61512 vs 61516: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 61514
    Brain abscess surgery · 26.55 wRVU
    —
  • 61510
    Brain tumor excision · 30.06 wRVU
    —
  • 61512
    Meningioma excision · 36.21 wRVU
    —
  • 61516
    Cyst excision · 25.92 wRVU
    —

How to choose

61510Brain tumor excision
Use 61514 for a supratentorial brain abscess. Use 61510 when the target is a supratentorial brain tumor other than a meningioma.
61512Meningioma excision
Use 61512 for excision of a supratentorial meningioma; 61514 identifies an abscess as the operative target.
61516Cyst excision
Use 61516 for a supratentorial brain cyst. The diagnosis and operative target for 61514 are a brain abscess.

Codes related to 61514

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

Codes related to 61514
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
61510Brain tumor excisionSupratentorial brain tumor excision rather than abscess excision.No office rate
61512Meningioma excisionFor supratentorial meningioma excision rather than brain abscess.No office rate
61516Cyst excisionFor supratentorial brain cyst excision rather than abscess excision.No office rate
61522Brain abscess removalAnother brain-abscess removal code; distinguish by its operative descriptor and documented procedure.No office rate

61514 billing questions

How is this code distinguished from brain tumor excision?

Use this code for excision of a supratentorial brain abscess. Code 61510 is for a supratentorial brain tumor other than a meningioma.

What operative documentation supports this code?

The operative report should identify the abscess, establish its supratentorial location, and describe the cranial approach and excision performed.

Does the 90-day global period include postoperative care?

Yes. The day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90-day period are included.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

How does Medicare handle multiple procedures in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction.

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 61514PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,781 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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