Billing code 63011: Sacral laminectomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $1,010.71 for 63011 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 63011 covers

The surgeon removes posterior sacral bone to expose the spinal canal for exploration or decompression of the cauda equina. This code describes work at one or two sacral vertebral segments, without decompression by facet removal, foraminal enlargement, or disc removal. Neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons typically perform the procedure in a hospital operating room for conditions affecting the sacral canal or cauda equina.

Select the code by the treated spinal region and number of vertebral segments, not by the incision length or number of sides. The operative report should identify the sacral levels and describe the bone removal and the decompression or exploration performed. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. 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% reduction. Modifier 50 is not appropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid, and co-surgeons are permitted; 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 63011 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

63011 rates by state

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

How the 63011 rate is calculated

Each of 63011’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 63011

63011 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

63011 compared with similar codes

How to choose

63005Lumbar laminectomy

Use 63005 for the corresponding one- or two-segment laminectomy in the lumbar region. Use 63011 when the treated segments are sacral.

63012Lumbar decompression

Code 63012 describes lumbar work involving removal of facets in a spondylolisthesis context. This code describes sacral laminectomy without that facet-removal approach.

63017Lumbar laminectomy

Code 63017 describes a lumbar laminectomy spanning more than two segments. This code is for one or two sacral segments.

63030Lumbar decompression

Code 63030 describes lumbar laminotomy for nerve-root decompression. This code describes sacral laminectomy for canal or cauda equina exploration or decompression.

Codes related to 63011

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