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Billing code 61750: Brain biopsyMedicare rate & RVUs

A neurosurgeon obtains brain tissue through a burr hole or trephine for diagnosis when the biopsy is performed without CT or MR guidance.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,385.47 for 61750 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 61750

Brain biopsy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
19.33
Total RVUs
41.48
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,385.47

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 61750 → · 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 61750 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 61750 covers

The neurosurgeon creates a small opening in the skull with a burr hole or trephine and takes a sample of brain tissue for diagnosis. This service is typically performed in an operating room, often in a hospital, to investigate an intracranial lesion or other abnormal brain finding. The sample is sent for pathologic examination; the surgeon reports the operative biopsy, not the pathologist’s interpretation.

Select this code when the operative report supports a brain biopsy through a skull opening without the CT or MR guidance associated with the stereotactic biopsy alternative. Document the target, approach, tissue obtained, and any dural opening. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur 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 is statutorily restricted; 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 61750 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

61750 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,209.19
Alaska*Unavailable$1,616.97
ArizonaUnavailable$1,331.89
ArkansasUnavailable$1,187.86
AtlantaUnavailable$1,449.42
AustinUnavailable$1,383.02
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,336.68
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,494.29
BeaumontUnavailable$1,324.04
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,326.75

61750 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
61750 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 61750 rate is calculated

Each of 61750’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 · 61750

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 19.33Practice expense 14.03Malpractice 8.12

41.4800 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,385.47

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 61750

61750 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 61750

Brain biopsy

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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
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 · 61750

Brain biopsy

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

61750 without 51 · national facility

$1,385.47

Brain biopsy

61750-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$692.74

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

61750 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

61750 vs 61751 vs 61720 vs 61735: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 61750
    Brain biopsy · 19.33 wRVU
    —
  • 61751
    Brain biopsy · 18.32 wRVU
    —
  • 61720
    Brain electrode placement · 17.18 wRVU
    —
  • 61735
    Brain lesioning · 21.79 wRVU
    —

How to choose

61751Brain biopsy
61751 is the stereotactic biopsy option when CT or MR guidance is used. This code is for a brain biopsy without that guidance.
61720Brain electrode placement
Choose 61720 when the operative service is treatment of a brain lesion rather than biopsy for tissue diagnosis.
61735Brain lesioning
This code is for brain biopsy; 61735 represents an operative brain procedure rather than tissue sampling for diagnosis.

Codes related to 61750

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

Codes related to 61750
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
61751Brain biopsyStereotactic brain biopsy alternative using CT or MR guidance.No office rate
Often billed with
61781Cranial navigationCranial intradural navigation may be reported with eligible procedures when separately supported.No office rate
Used instead
61720Brain electrode placementA brain procedure code to consider when the surgeon treats a lesion rather than obtaining diagnostic tissue.No office rate

61750 billing questions

When should 61751 be reported instead?

Use 61751 when the brain biopsy is performed with CT or MR guidance. This code describes the biopsy without that guidance.

Can separate brain biopsy codes be reported for multiple tissue samples?

The code describes the biopsy procedure, not each specimen. Document the target and samples obtained; multiple specimens alone do not establish separate procedures.

Does the 90-day global period include postoperative care?

Yes. It includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can modifier 50 be used for biopsies on both sides?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted. Co-surgeon payment is allowed only with supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

How does CMS handle this code with other procedures in the same session?

Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% 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 61750PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,880 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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