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Billing code 62161: Brain neuroendoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports intracranial endoscopic dissection of adhesions or fenestration or resection of a cyst wall during neurosurgical treatment of a brain cyst.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities120 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,502.71 for 62161 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 62161

Brain neuroendoscopy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
20.7
Total RVUs
44.99
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,502.71

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 62161 → · 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 62161 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 62161 covers

A neurosurgeon uses an endoscope within the cranial cavity to separate intracranial adhesions or open a cyst by fenestrating or removing part of its wall. A typical use is endoscopic treatment of an intracranial cyst, such as an arachnoid cyst, to establish communication with a neighboring cerebrospinal fluid space. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room, often through a burr hole or another planned cranial access route.

Report 62161 when the operative work is endoscopic dissection of adhesions or cyst fenestration or wall resection; the operative report should identify the target and describe the endoscopic maneuver. Distinguish this work from excision of a colloid cyst or brain tumor, which has separate codes. CMS assigns 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 other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation. 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 62161 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

62161 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,312.12
Alaska*Unavailable$1,752.81
ArizonaUnavailable$1,444.95
ArkansasUnavailable$1,289.04
AtlantaUnavailable$1,571.15
AustinUnavailable$1,501.51
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,453.19
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,620.32
BeaumontUnavailable$1,435.17
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,440.04

62161 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
62161 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 62161 rate is calculated

Each of 62161’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 · 62161

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 20.70Practice expense 15.65Malpractice 8.64

44.9900 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,502.71

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 62161

62161 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 62161

Brain neuroendoscopy

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 · 62161

Brain neuroendoscopy

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

62161 without 51 · national facility

$1,502.71

Brain neuroendoscopy

62161-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$751.36

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

62161 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

62161 vs 62162 vs 62164 vs 62165: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 62161
    Brain neuroendoscopy · 20.7 wRVU
    —
  • 62162
    Neuroendoscopy · 26.13 wRVU
    —
  • 62164
    Brain tumor excision · 28.69 wRVU
    —
  • 62165
    Pituitary tumor removal · 22.65 wRVU
    —

How to choose

62162Neuroendoscopy
Choose 62161 for endoscopic dissection of adhesions or cyst fenestration or wall resection. Choose 62162 when the endoscopic procedure excises a colloid cyst.
62164Brain tumor excision
62164 describes endoscopic removal of a brain tumor; 62161 describes endoscopic work on adhesions or a cyst.
62165Pituitary tumor removal
62165 is for endoscopic pituitary tumor removal. A cyst or adhesion procedure elsewhere in the intracranial space is not coded as pituitary tumor removal.

Codes related to 62161

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

Codes related to 62161
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
62162NeuroendoscopyEndoscopic excision of a colloid cyst is reported with this distinct cyst-specific code.No office rate
62164Brain tumor excisionEndoscopic brain tumor removal is coded separately from cyst or adhesion dissection.No office rate
62165Pituitary tumor removalEndoscopic pituitary tumor removal uses a separate code for that target and approach.No office rate

62161 billing questions

When should 62161 be chosen over 62162?

Use 62161 for endoscopic dissection of adhesions or fenestration or resection of a cyst wall. Use 62162 for endoscopic excision of a colloid cyst.

Does 62161 describe tumor removal?

No. Endoscopic removal of a brain tumor is represented by a different code, such as 62164; pituitary tumor removal has its own code, 62165.

What documentation supports 62161?

The operative report should identify the intracranial cyst or adhesions and document the endoscopic dissection, fenestration, or cyst-wall resection performed.

How does the 90-day global period affect billing?

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the surgical global period.

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 multiple-procedure reduction when performed in the same session.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not 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 62161PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,924 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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