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Billing code 61524: Brain cyst excisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports operative removal of an infratentorial brain cyst through a craniectomy or craniotomy, with the lesion’s location and type established in the operative record.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities46 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $2,028.10 for 61524 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 61524

Brain cyst excision

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
29.14
Total RVUs
60.72
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$2,028.10

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 61524 → · 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 61524 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 61524 covers

This code is for neurosurgical removal of a cystic lesion in the infratentorial part of the brain, below the tentorium. The surgeon gains access through a craniectomy or craniotomy and removes the cyst. The service is generally performed in a hospital operating room; the operative report should identify the cyst and establish its infratentorial location.

Select this code when the lesion is a cyst and its location is infratentorial, rather than choosing a code for a tumor or abscess. Documentation should support the diagnosis, site, surgical approach, and removal performed. This major surgery has 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 the others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation. Modifier 50 is inappropriate, 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 61524 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

61524 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,769.10
Alaska*Unavailable$2,371.81
ArizonaUnavailable$1,948.90
ArkansasUnavailable$1,737.82
AtlantaUnavailable$2,124.03
AustinUnavailable$2,020.45
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,947.46
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$2,188.16
BeaumontUnavailable$1,940.99
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,939.57

61524 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
61524 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 61524 rate is calculated

Each of 61524’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 · 61524

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 29.14Practice expense 19.26Malpractice 12.32

60.7200 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$2,028.10

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 61524

61524 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 61524

Brain cyst excision

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 · 61524

Brain cyst excision

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

61524 without 51 · national facility

$2,028.10

Brain cyst excision

61524-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,014.05

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

61524 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

61524 vs 61516 vs 61522 vs 61518: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 61524
    Brain cyst excision · 29.14 wRVU
    —
  • 61516
    Cyst excision · 25.92 wRVU
    —
  • 61522
    Brain abscess removal · 30.75 wRVU
    —
  • 61518
    Brain tumor excision · 38.89 wRVU
    —

How to choose

61516Cyst excision
Both address cyst removal, but 61516 applies to a supratentorial cyst; this code applies to an infratentorial cyst.
61522Brain abscess removal
61522 is for an infratentorial abscess. Choose this code when the lesion removed is a cyst.
61518Brain tumor excision
61518 is for an infratentorial brain tumor. This code is for an infratentorial cyst, so the documented lesion type distinguishes them.

Codes related to 61524

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

Codes related to 61524
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
61516Cyst excisionCyst-removal counterpart for a supratentorial location.No office rate
61522Brain abscess removalInfratentorial lesion removal when the diagnosis is abscess.No office rate
61518Brain tumor excisionInfratentorial lesion removal for a brain tumor.No office rate
61520Brain lesion removalInfratentorial tumor removal for a cerebellopontine-angle site.No office rate

61524 billing questions

How does this differ from the code for an infratentorial brain abscess?

Use this code for removal of an infratentorial cyst. The abscess code, 61522, is for an abscess rather than a cyst.

How does this differ from 61516?

Both codes address cyst removal, but 61516 is for a supratentorial cyst. This code is for an infratentorial cyst.

What documentation supports code selection?

The operative report should identify the lesion as a cyst, establish its infratentorial location, and describe the surgical removal and approach.

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.

Can modifier 50 be used, and what happens when other procedures are performed in the same session?

Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Under the standard multiple procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%.

What care is included in the global period?

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

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 61524PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,789 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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