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Billing code 63045: Cervical decompressionMedicare rate & RVUs

Cervical decompression removes posterior bone at one vertebral segment to relieve spinal cord or nerve-root compression from stenosis.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities16.8K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,249.53 for 63045 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 63045

Cervical decompression

Work RVUs
17.5
Total RVUs
37.41
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,249.53

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 63045 →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 63045 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 63045 covers

A spine surgeon uses a posterior approach to remove lamina and portions of the facet and foraminal bone at one cervical vertebral segment, creating space for compressed neural structures. The procedure is commonly performed for cervical canal or foraminal stenosis associated with spinal cord dysfunction or nerve-root symptoms. Neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons typically perform it in an operating room, most often in a facility setting.

Report this code for one treated cervical segment; document the level, the stenosis or compression, and the decompression performed. For each additional qualifying segment, report add-on code 63048. CMS prices this code as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in its 90-day global period. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery and co-surgeon payment may be allowed; team-surgery payment 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 63045 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

63045 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,101.07
Alaska*Unavailable$1,476.34
ArizonaUnavailable$1,205.02
ArkansasUnavailable$1,083.03
AtlantaUnavailable$1,301.04
AustinUnavailable$1,252.90
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,221.51
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,342.10
BeaumontUnavailable$1,193.69
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,203.61

63045 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
63045 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 63045 rate is calculated

Each of 63045’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 · 63045

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work17.50

17.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense13.58

13.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice6.33

6.33 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

37.4100

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,249.53

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 63045

63045 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 63045

Cervical decompression

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)2Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%.
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 · 63045

Cervical decompression

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned 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

63045 without 51 · national facility

$1,249.53

Cervical decompression

63045-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$624.77

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

63045 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

  • 63045

    Cervical decompression17.5 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63020

    Cervical laminotomy14.54 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63048

    Spinal decompression3.38 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63015

    Cervical decompression20.33 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63047

    Lumbar decompression14.99 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

63020Cervical laminotomy
63020 represents laminotomy-based cervical nerve-root decompression. Choose 63045 when the documented operation involves the more extensive laminectomy, facet, and foraminal decompression at a segment.
63048Spinal decompression
63048 is an add-on for each additional qualifying segment; it is not the base code for the first cervical segment.
63015Cervical decompression
63015 describes cervical laminectomy decompression across more than two segments. 63045 is for a single cervical segment.
63047Lumbar decompression
63047 describes the corresponding laminectomy-based decompression in the lumbar region. 63045 is for a cervical segment.

Codes related to 63045

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

Codes related to 63045
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Add-on codes
63048Spinal decompressionAdd-on code for each additional qualifying cervical segment.No office rate
Same family
63046Thoracic decompressionCorresponding laminectomy-based decompression code for a thoracic segment.No office rate
63047Lumbar decompressionCorresponding laminectomy-based decompression code for a lumbar segment.No office rate
Used instead
63020Cervical laminotomyLaminotomy-based cervical nerve-root decompression when that operative approach fits.No office rate
63015Cervical decompressionCervical laminectomy decompression involving more than two segments.No office rate
63050LaminoplastyCervical laminoplasty for a different decompression approach across multiple segments.No office rate

63045 billing questions

How is 63045 different from cervical code 63020?

63045 describes a laminectomy-based decompression involving facet and foraminal work at a cervical segment. Use 63020 for the more limited laminotomy-based nerve-root decompression when that procedure matches the operative work.

Can 63045 be reported for both sides of the same segment?

CMS prices 63045 as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment. Document the side or sides treated and the work performed.

How are additional cervical segments reported?

Report 63045 for the first treated segment and use add-on code 63048 for each additional qualifying segment. The operative report should identify the levels decompressed.

What postoperative care is included?

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?

CMS allows payment for an assistant at surgery and permits co-surgeons for this code. CMS does not permit team-surgery payment.

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 63045PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,004 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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