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CPT 62145: CranioplastyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reconstructs a skull defect while repairing an associated dural defect, typically during neurosurgical treatment of a defect from trauma or prior surgery.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities175 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,366.10 for 62145 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 62145

Cranioplasty

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
19.59
Total RVUs
40.90
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,366.10

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 62145 →

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 62145 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 62145 covers

This service reconstructs a skull defect and repairs an associated defect in the dura, the membrane covering the brain. Neurosurgeons typically perform it in an operating room for defects related to prior cranial surgery or trauma when both the skull and dura require repair. The work may involve restoring the cranial covering and closing the dural defect as part of the reconstruction.

Report this code when the operative record supports both skull reconstruction and dural defect repair. Distinguish it from size-based cranioplasty codes for skull defects without the dural repair described here, and from codes specifying autograft reconstruction. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including 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 other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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 62145 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

62145 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,197.24
Alaska*Unavailable$1,606.64
ArizonaUnavailable$1,314.82
ArkansasUnavailable$1,176.80
AtlantaUnavailable$1,427.27
AustinUnavailable$1,364.22
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,320.96
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,470.92
BeaumontUnavailable$1,306.95
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,310.38

62145 rates by state

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

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Explore a state

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
62145 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 62145 rate is calculated

Each of 62145’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 · 62145

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 19.59Practice expense 13.57Malpractice 7.74

40.9000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,366.10

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 62145

62145 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 62145

Cranioplasty

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 · 62145

Cranioplasty

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

62145 without 51 · national facility

$1,366.10

Cranioplasty

62145-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$683.05

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

62145 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

62145 vs 62140 vs 62141 vs 62146 vs 62143: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 62145
    Cranioplasty · 19.59 wRVU
    —
  • 62140
    Cranioplasty · 14.19 wRVU
    —
  • 62141
    Cranioplasty · 15.67 wRVU
    —
  • 62146
    Cranioplasty · 16.85 wRVU
    —
  • 62143
    Skull reconstruction · 13.8 wRVU
    —

How to choose

62140Cranioplasty
62140 is a size-based cranioplasty for a skull defect up to 5 cm. Select 62145 when the operative service includes repair of an associated dural defect.
62141Cranioplasty
62141 is the size-based cranioplasty code for a skull defect larger than 5 cm. The distinguishing feature for 62145 is repair of an associated dural defect.
62146Cranioplasty
62146 specifies autograft cranioplasty for a defect up to 5 cm. For 62145, the defining operative feature is dural defect repair.
62143Skull reconstruction
62143 describes replacement of a bone flap or prosthetic plate. It is not the code for skull reconstruction that includes repair of a dural defect.

Codes related to 62145

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

Codes related to 62145
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
62140CranioplastySize-based cranioplasty for a skull defect up to 5 cm without the dural-repair distinction.No office rate
62141CranioplastySize-based cranioplasty for a larger skull defect without the dural-repair distinction.No office rate
62146CranioplastyCranioplasty using autograft for a skull defect up to 5 cm.No office rate
62147CranioplastyCranioplasty using autograft for a larger skull defect.No office rate
62143Skull reconstructionReplacement of a bone flap or prosthetic plate rather than reconstruction with dural defect repair.No office rate

62145 billing questions

When should this code be selected instead of 62140 or 62141?

Use 62145 when the skull defect reconstruction also includes repair of a dural defect. Codes 62140 and 62141 describe size-based cranioplasty without that dural-repair distinction.

How does this differ from 62146 or 62147?

Codes 62146 and 62147 identify cranioplasty using an autograft and distinguish the defect by size. Choose 62145 when the service includes dural defect repair, based on the documented procedure.

What operative documentation supports reporting 62145?

Document the skull defect, the associated dural defect, and the reconstruction and dural repair performed. The operative report should make clear that both were addressed.

Are related postoperative visits included?

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

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.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy.

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 62145PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,919 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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