Billing code 61582: Craniofacial approachMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $3,077.56 for 61582 nationally in a facility.

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

What 61582 covers

This code represents a craniofacial approach to the skull base, combining facial and cranial exposure to reach a lesion involving the anterior cranial fossa. A neurosurgeon may work with an otolaryngologist or a facial plastic surgeon when a tumor, such as an anterior skull base malignancy, requires access from both sides of the skull base. The service is generally performed in a hospital operating room and involves substantially more than a routine craniotomy or an isolated sinonasal tumor removal.

Report 61582 when the operative report supports the specific approach and work described by this code; use the complete code descriptor to distinguish it from related craniofacial approach codes. Documentation should identify the lesion, route of access, intracranial work, and surgeons’ roles. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and 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 61582 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

61582 rates by state

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

How the 61582 rate is calculated

Each of 61582’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 61582

61582 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

61582 compared with similar codes

How to choose

61580Craniofacial approach

Both describe craniofacial skull approaches. Select between them using the full descriptors and the approach and operative work documented in the report.

61581Craniofacial approach

This is a sibling craniofacial approach code. The operative report must support the specific variant represented by the selected code.

61583Craniofacial approach

This is another craniofacial approach code; distinguish it from 61582 by matching the complete descriptor to the documented operative configuration.

61584Skull base approach

61584 describes an orbitocranial route. Use 61582 when the documented approach matches its craniofacial skull-base work instead.

Codes related to 61582

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