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Billing code 63017: Lumbar laminectomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports lumbar laminectomy to decompress the spinal cord or cauda equina across more than two vertebral segments, without facetectomy, foraminotomy, or discectomy.

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

Medicare pays $1,245.19 for 63017 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 63017

Lumbar laminectomy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
16.9
Total RVUs
37.28
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,245.19

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 63017 → · 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 63017 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 63017 covers

This service covers removal of lumbar lamina across more than two vertebral segments to relieve compression of the spinal cord or cauda equina, commonly in patients with multilevel spinal stenosis. A spine surgeon typically performs the operation in a hospital or other surgical facility. The operative work is a broader decompression than a limited laminotomy, but this code describes decompression without facetectomy, foraminotomy, or discectomy.

Select the code based on the lumbar region, the number of vertebral segments treated, and the documented surgical work. The operative report should identify the levels decompressed, the indication, and the extent of bone removal. 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% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment 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 63017 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

63017 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,093.11
Alaska*Unavailable$1,460.25
ArizonaUnavailable$1,199.59
ArkansasUnavailable$1,074.64
AtlantaUnavailable$1,297.87
AustinUnavailable$1,248.51
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,215.69
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,339.46
BeaumontUnavailable$1,188.04
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,197.84

63017 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
63017 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 63017 rate is calculated

Each of 63017’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 · 63017

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 16.90Practice expense 13.89Malpractice 6.49

37.2800 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,245.19

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 63017

63017 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 63017

Lumbar laminectomy

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)2Permitted.
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 · 63017

Lumbar laminectomy

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

63017 without 51 · national facility

$1,245.19

Lumbar laminectomy

63017-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$622.60

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

63017 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

63017 vs 63005 vs 63047 vs 63016 vs 63030: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 63017
    Lumbar laminectomy · 16.9 wRVU
    —
  • 63005
    Lumbar laminectomy · 16.02 wRVU
    —
  • 63047
    Lumbar decompression · 14.99 wRVU
    —
  • 63016
    Laminectomy · 21.48 wRVU
    —
  • 63030
    Lumbar decompression · 11.7 wRVU
    —

How to choose

63005Lumbar laminectomy
Both describe lumbar decompression without facetectomy or foraminotomy, but 63005 applies to one or two vertebral segments; 63017 applies to more than two.
63047Lumbar decompression
Choose 63047 when the lumbar decompression includes facetectomy and foraminotomy. 63017 describes multilevel lumbar decompression without those procedures.
63016Laminectomy
63016 describes the corresponding multilevel laminectomy service in the thoracic region; 63017 is for the lumbar region.
63030Lumbar decompression
63030 is a limited lumbar nerve-root decompression at one interspace. 63017 describes decompression across more than two lumbar vertebral segments.

Codes related to 63017

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

Codes related to 63017
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
63005Lumbar laminectomyRelated lumbar laminectomy code for decompression across one or two vertebral segments.No office rate
63015Cervical decompressionRelated multilevel laminectomy code for the cervical region.No office rate
63016LaminectomyRelated multilevel laminectomy code for the thoracic region.No office rate
Used instead
63047Lumbar decompressionLumbar decompression with facetectomy and foraminotomy.No office rate
63030Lumbar decompressionLimited lumbar nerve-root decompression at one interspace, rather than multilevel central decompression.No office rate

63017 billing questions

When is 63017 appropriate instead of 63005?

Use 63017 for lumbar decompression across more than two vertebral segments. Code 63005 is the related lumbar code for one or two segments.

How does 63017 differ from 63047?

63017 describes lumbar decompression without facetectomy or foraminotomy. Consider 63047 when the documented lumbar decompression includes facetectomy and foraminotomy.

Should modifier 50 be reported for bilateral decompression?

No. CMS identifies the bilateral adjustment as inapplicable for this code and modifier 50 as inappropriate.

What operative documentation supports 63017?

Document the lumbar levels treated, the indication for decompression, and the extent of the laminectomy. The record should support treatment of more than two vertebral segments and the work described by this code.

How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect this code?

For procedures performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard 50% reduction to the others.

What services are included in the global period?

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

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 63017PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,995 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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