Billing code 63650: Neurostimulator leadMedicare rate & RVUs

Percutaneous epidural neurostimulator lead placement is reported when a clinician advances an electrode array through a needle, commonly for spinal cord stimulation.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities125.8K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $2,388.50 for 63650 nationally in the office and $375.43 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $2,075.47–$3,343.02.

Medicare rate · 63650

Neurostimulator lead

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
6.97
Total RVUs
71.51
Global days
010

National rate · 2026

$2,388.50

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 63650 → · 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 63650 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 63650 covers

The clinician advances a neurostimulator electrode array through a percutaneous needle into the epidural space, positioning it to deliver spinal cord stimulation. Pain medicine physicians, anesthesiologists, and neurosurgeons commonly perform the procedure for patients with persistent pain, including during a temporary stimulation trial before a permanent system is considered. The lead may connect to an external stimulator during a trial or to an implanted pulse generator for ongoing therapy.

Report 63650 for percutaneous epidural array placement, rather than the open laminectomy approach in 63655. The operative or procedure note should support the percutaneous approach, epidural placement, and array work performed. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When multiple procedures occur in one session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces the others to 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and 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 63650 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 payment localities

$2075.47 to $3343.02

$2075.47$2709.24$3343.02
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

63650 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$2,110.88$349.44
Alaska*$2,631.46$487.54
Arizona$2,318.69$368.02
Arkansas$2,075.47$346.24
Atlanta$2,428.57$383.29
Austin$2,509.46$379.63
Bakersfield$2,587.02$380.69
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$2,553.92$393.89
Beaumont$2,194.99$363.09
Brazoria$2,365.39$370.44

63650 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.

$2,075.47

$2,963.83

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
63650 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$2,631.461
AL$2,110.881
AR$2,075.471
AZ$2,318.691
CA$2,584.63–$3,343.0229
CO$2,521.791
CT$2,562.651
DC$2,783.071
DE$2,361.451
FL$2,308.08–$2,516.153
GA$2,163.60–$2,428.572
GU$2,669.101
HI$2,669.101
IA$2,191.601
ID$2,204.251
IL$2,218.10–$2,467.994
IN$2,219.501
KS$2,171.001
KY$2,149.901
LA$2,142.52–$2,266.462
MA$2,499.72–$2,808.232
MD$2,414.21–$2,783.073
ME$2,208.18–$2,359.602
MI$2,206.65–$2,332.072
MN$2,431.671
MO$2,093.97–$2,286.343
MS$2,085.641
MT$2,388.451
NC$2,236.311
ND$2,372.821
NE$2,208.131
NH$2,472.501
NJ$2,596.27–$2,745.652
NM$2,217.071
NV$2,386.221
NY$2,274.20–$2,828.455
OH$2,203.461
OK$2,154.781
OR$2,372.14–$2,621.822
PA$2,212.44–$2,485.082
PR$2,411.521
RI$2,460.341
SC$2,222.711
SD$2,370.981
TN$2,182.511
TX$2,194.99–$2,509.468
UT$2,258.051
VA$2,344.54–$2,783.072
VI$2,411.521
VT$2,354.171
WA$2,498.07–$2,878.662
WI$2,280.811
WV$2,120.931
WY$2,381.641

How the 63650 rate is calculated

Each of 63650’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 · 63650

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 6.97Practice expense 63.75Malpractice 0.79

71.5100 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$2,388.50

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 63650

63650 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 63650

Neurostimulator lead

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period010Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.80/0.10Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 63650

Neurostimulator lead

10-day global period ends

Oct 11, 2026

Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.

SurgeryVisit
Sep 28, 2026Oct 14, 2026

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

63650 without 51 · national office

$2,388.50

Neurostimulator lead

63650-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,194.25

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

63650 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

63650 vs 63655 vs 63663 vs 63685: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 63650
    Neurostimulator lead · 6.97 wRVU
    $2,388.50
  • 63655
    Paddle lead implant · 10.65 wRVU
    —
  • 63663
    Lead revision · 7.56 wRVU
    $953.26−$1,435.24
  • 63685
    Neurostimulator generator · 5.06 wRVU
    —

How to choose

63655Paddle lead implant
Choose 63650 for percutaneous epidural array placement; 63655 describes placement by a laminectomy approach.
63663Lead revision
63650 describes placement of a percutaneous array, while 63663 addresses revision or replacement of an existing percutaneous array.
63685Neurostimulator generator
63650 is for epidural lead placement; 63685 is for insertion or replacement of the implanted pulse generator or receiver.

63650 billing questions

How is 63650 different from 63655?

63650 describes percutaneous placement through a needle. Use 63655 for epidural electrode placement through a laminectomy approach.

Can 63650 be reported with an implanted pulse generator code?

It may be reported with 63685 when percutaneous lead placement and pulse generator insertion are performed as part of the same permanent system procedure. A temporary trial typically uses an external stimulator rather than an implanted generator.

Should modifier 50 be appended for bilateral placement?

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

Are postoperative visits included?

Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure's payment.

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be billed?

Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 63650. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

What documentation supports 63650?

Document the percutaneous approach, epidural electrode array placement, and the clinical purpose, such as a spinal cord stimulation trial or permanent lead placement.

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 63650PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,077 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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