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Billing code 61580: Craniofacial approachMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports an extradural craniofacial route to the anterior cranial fossa, typically for lesions involving the anterior skull base and adjacent sinonasal region.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities191 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $2,218.49 for 61580 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 61580

Craniofacial approach

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
33.65
Total RVUs
66.42
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$2,218.49

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 61580 → · 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 61580 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 61580 covers

This service creates combined cranial and facial access to the anterior cranial fossa. The surgeon elevates the frontal lobes, performs a craniotomy and facial bone osteotomies, and works in the extradural plane. It is used for selected anterior skull-base lesions, including tumors extending between the intracranial and sinonasal spaces. Neurosurgeons and head-and-neck or craniofacial surgeons may participate, commonly in a hospital operating room. The approach described here does not include maxillectomy or orbital exenteration.

Report 61580 when the operative record supports this extradural approach and its documented extent; distinguish it from an intradural approach such as 61581. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, while team surgery is 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 61580 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

61580 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$2,009.22
Alaska*Unavailable$2,731.08
ArizonaUnavailable$2,158.06
ArkansasUnavailable$1,983.50
AtlantaUnavailable$2,282.75
AustinUnavailable$2,243.89
BakersfieldUnavailable$2,230.73
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$2,354.83
BeaumontUnavailable$2,124.43
BrazoriaUnavailable$2,168.15

61580 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
61580 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 61580 rate is calculated

Each of 61580’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 · 61580

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 33.65Practice expense 25.75Malpractice 7.02

66.4200 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$2,218.49

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 61580

61580 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 61580

Craniofacial approach

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)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)2Permitted.
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 · 61580

Craniofacial approach

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 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

61580 without 50 · national facility

$2,218.49

Craniofacial approach

61580-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$3,327.73

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

61580 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

61580 vs 61581 vs 61584 vs 61586: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 61580
    Craniofacial approach · 33.65 wRVU
    —
  • 61581
    Craniofacial approach · 38.15 wRVU
    —
  • 61584
    Skull base approach · 36.76 wRVU
    —
  • 61586
    Skull-base resection · 26.79 wRVU
    —

How to choose

61581Craniofacial approach
The key distinction is the operative plane: 61580 is extradural, whereas 61581 is used for the intradural approach.
61584Skull base approach
61584 describes an orbitocranial approach. Choose 61580 for the documented craniofacial route to the anterior cranial fossa.
61586Skull-base resection
61586 concerns skull-base resection involving the nasopharynx. It is not the code for the extradural anterior craniofacial approach described by 61580.

Codes related to 61580

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

Codes related to 61580
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
61581Craniofacial approachIntracranial-plane counterpart in the anterior craniofacial approach series.No office rate
61582Craniofacial approachAnother configuration in the anterior craniofacial approach series.No office rate
61583Craniofacial approachAnother configuration in the anterior craniofacial approach series.No office rate
Used instead
61584Skull base approachAn orbitocranial route is selected when that approach, rather than this craniofacial route, is performed.No office rate

61580 billing questions

How is 61580 distinguished from 61581?

61580 describes an extradural anterior craniofacial approach. Use the intradural code when the documented approach includes work within the dura.

Does this code describe removal of the lesion?

The code identifies the specified craniofacial approach. The operative report should separately establish the definitive work performed and support any additional reported service.

What documentation supports 61580?

Document the anterior cranial fossa exposure, extradural plane, craniotomy, facial bone osteotomies, frontal lobe elevation, and the structures or lesion reached.

How does the multiple-procedure rule affect payment?

For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is subject to a statutory restriction. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is 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 61580PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,821 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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