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Billing code 63275: Spinal lesion surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports operative biopsy or removal of a lesion outside the dura in the cervical spinal canal, typically through posterior bony exposure.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities234 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,731.84 for 63275 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 63275

Spinal lesion surgery

Work RVUs
25.21
Total RVUs
51.85
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,731.84

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 63275 →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 63275 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 63275 covers

A neurosurgeon uses posterior bony exposure of the cervical spine to reach a lesion in the spinal canal but outside the dura. The service may involve obtaining tissue for diagnosis, removing the lesion, or both. A typical situation is an epidural mass identified on imaging and approached surgically for tissue sampling or removal.

Select the code based on the cervical location, extradural compartment, and work documented—not simply the eventual pathology result. The operative report should describe the exposure, lesion location relative to the dura, and whether biopsy, excision, or both were performed. This major surgery includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur 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 for this cervical service. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and 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 63275 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

63275 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,519.67
Alaska*Unavailable$2,042.79
ArizonaUnavailable$1,667.34
ArkansasUnavailable$1,494.00
AtlantaUnavailable$1,809.03
AustinUnavailable$1,728.94
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,674.17
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,863.84
BeaumontUnavailable$1,657.96
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,661.64

63275 rates by state

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

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Explore a state

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
63275 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 63275 rate is calculated

Each of 63275’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 · 63275

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work25.21

25.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense16.86

16.86 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice9.78

9.78 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

51.8500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,731.84

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 63275

63275 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 63275

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)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 · 63275

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.

  • 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

63275 without 51 · national facility

$1,731.84

Spinal lesion surgery

63275-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$865.92

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

63275 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

  • 63275

    Spinal lesion surgery25.21 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63276

    Spinal lesion surgery25.05 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63280

    Spinal tumor surgery29.53 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63270

    Spinal lesion excision29.06 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 63265

    Spinal lesion removal23.22 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

63276Spinal lesion surgery
The operative approach is for an extradural lesion in either case; 63276 identifies the thoracic level, while 63275 identifies the cervical level.
63280Spinal tumor surgery
Both concern a cervical intraspinal lesion, but 63275 is for a lesion outside the dura and 63280 for one within it.
63270Spinal lesion excision
Consider 63270 for excision of a cervical extradural intraspinal neoplasm. Code 63275 describes biopsy or excision of an extradural lesion.
63265Spinal lesion removal
Code 63265 describes excision or evacuation of a cervical extradural lesion other than a neoplasm; 63275 describes biopsy or excision.

Codes related to 63275

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

Codes related to 63275
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
63276Spinal lesion surgeryCorresponding biopsy or excision service for an extradural lesion at the thoracic level.No office rate
63277Spinal lesion surgeryCorresponding biopsy or excision service for an extradural lesion at the lumbar level.No office rate
63278Spinal lesion surgeryCorresponding biopsy or excision service for an extradural lesion at the sacral level.No office rate
Used instead
63280Spinal tumor surgeryCervical lesion service when the lesion is intradural rather than extradural.No office rate
63270Spinal lesion excisionCervical extradural lesion excision code; distinguish by the service and lesion description.No office rate
63265Spinal lesion removalCervical extradural lesion excision or evacuation code for a lesion other than a neoplasm.No office rate

63275 billing questions

How is this code distinguished from 63280?

This code describes a cervical lesion outside the dura. Code 63280 is for a lesion within the dura at the cervical level.

Does the lesion have to be removed, or can the surgeon biopsy it?

Biopsy, excision, or both may support this code when the operative service and cervical extradural location are documented.

What operative documentation supports the code?

Document the cervical level, the lesion's position outside the dura, the surgical exposure, and whether tissue was sampled, removed, or both.

Should modifier 50 be reported?

No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this cervical service.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction to the other procedures.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team-surgery payment 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 63275PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,051 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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