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Billing code 63273: Spinal lesion surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports laminectomy-based removal or evacuation of a non-neoplastic lesion within the dura at the sacral level.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $1,830.37 for 63273 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 63273

Spinal lesion surgery

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
25.81
Total RVUs
54.80
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,830.37

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 63273 → · 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 63273 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 63273 covers

This service involves a sacral laminectomy to reach and remove or evacuate a non-neoplastic lesion located inside the dura. A neurosurgeon or spine surgeon typically performs it in an operating room. An intradural arachnoid cyst is one example; the operative record must establish both the sacral location and intradural position. This code is not for an intraspinal neoplasm.

Select the code based on the lesion’s non-neoplastic status, intradural location, and sacral level. The report should describe the lesion, its location relative to the dura, and the work performed. The laminectomy exposure is part of the service. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 63273 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

63273 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,596.84
Alaska*Unavailable$2,137.22
ArizonaUnavailable$1,759.21
ArkansasUnavailable$1,568.60
AtlantaUnavailable$1,915.80
AustinUnavailable$1,825.63
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,762.40
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,974.56
BeaumontUnavailable$1,750.14
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,751.73

63273 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
63273 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 63273 rate is calculated

Each of 63273’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 · 63273

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 25.81Practice expense 18.09Malpractice 10.90

54.8000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,830.37

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 63273

63273 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 63273

Spinal lesion surgery

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)0Not permitted.
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 · 63273

Spinal lesion surgery

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

63273 without 51 · national facility

$1,830.37

Spinal lesion surgery

63273-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$915.19

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

63273 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

63273 vs 63268 vs 63272 vs 63283 vs 63278: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 63273
    Spinal lesion surgery · 25.81 wRVU
    —
  • 63268
    Spinal lesion excision · 19.52 wRVU
    —
  • 63272
    Spinal lesion surgery · 26.81 wRVU
    —
  • 63283
    Spinal tumor surgery · 26.09 wRVU
    —
  • 63278
    Spinal lesion surgery · 21.57 wRVU
    —

How to choose

63268Spinal lesion excision
Both address non-neoplastic lesions at the sacral level. Choose 63273 for a lesion inside the dura and 63268 for one outside it.
63272Spinal lesion surgery
This is the corresponding non-neoplastic intradural lesion service at the lumbar level; 63273 is for the sacral level.
63283Spinal tumor surgery
This code is for a sacral intradural neoplasm requiring biopsy or excision. Code 63273 describes treatment of a non-neoplastic intradural lesion.
63278Spinal lesion surgery
This code addresses a sacral extradural neoplasm. Code 63273 is for a non-neoplastic lesion inside the dura.

Codes related to 63273

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

Codes related to 63273
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
63270Spinal lesion excisionNon-neoplastic intradural lesion excision at the cervical level.No office rate
63271Spinal lesion excisionNon-neoplastic intradural lesion excision at the thoracic level.No office rate
63272Spinal lesion surgeryNon-neoplastic intradural lesion excision at the lumbar level.No office rate
63268Spinal lesion excisionNon-neoplastic sacral lesion excision when the lesion is extradural.No office rate
Used instead
63283Spinal tumor surgeryFor biopsy or excision of an intradural neoplasm at the sacral level.No office rate

63273 billing questions

How does this differ from code 63268?

Both describe treatment of a non-neoplastic lesion at the sacral level. This code is for an intradural lesion; 63268 is for an extradural lesion.

Can this code be used for an intradural tumor?

No. This code is for a non-neoplastic lesion. Code selection for an intradural neoplasm depends on its location and other operative details.

Is the laminectomy reported separately?

The laminectomy exposure used to reach the lesion is part of this service and should not be unbundled as a separate access procedure.

Should modifier 50 be added for bilateral work?

No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.

What assistant and global-surgery rules apply?

An assistant at surgery may be paid, but co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted. 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 63273PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,050 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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