No office rate
Both describe extradural cranial-base lesion resection, but 61605 is for the middle cranial fossa base; 61606 is for the posterior cranial fossa base.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
61606 in Chicago
Office / nonfacility
Not available in this setting
Base rate per service
Facility setting
$3350.80
Base rate per service
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
Neurosurgery
About 61606: Posterior cranial fossa extradural lesion resection
Reports excision of an extradural neoplastic, vascular, or infectious lesion at the posterior cranial fossa base, including drilling and any required dural repair.
A neurosurgeon or skull-base surgeon uses this code to remove a neoplastic, vascular, or infectious lesion from the extradural base of the posterior cranial fossa. The work includes drilling needed to reach or remove the lesion and may include dural repair. These operations are generally performed in a hospital operating room; the operative report should identify the lesion’s location and confirm that the treated portion was extradural.
Choose this code by the lesion’s site and operative plane, not simply because the procedure involved the posterior fossa. Document the pathology or suspected lesion type, extent of excision, bone work, and any dural repair. Medicare 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 one 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 may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is permitted.
CMS billing rules for 61606
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU41.00 · 50%
- Practice expense (office) RVU26.61 · 33%
- Malpractice RVU14.07 · 17%
130
Medicare services in 2024 · #4673 by national volume
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.
61606 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Chicago, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
The anatomic region is the posterior cranial fossa base for both. The operative plane is the distinction: extradural for 61606 and intradural for 61608.
No office rate
61615 concerns lesion resection at the infratemporal or lateral skull base. Use 61606 for an extradural lesion at the posterior cranial fossa base.
The same code, a different location
How does Chicago compare?
61606 across payment areas
Same release and payment basis · bars start at $0
Chicago · This locality
Unavailable
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Other payment areas listed in Illinois appear first, followed by selected cross-country examples. The chart compares amounts, not distance.
The code’s RVUs stay the same in these comparisons. Geographic adjustments to work, practice expense and malpractice change the dollar amount. A city name alone may not identify the payment area for a service address.
Compare all 108 other payment areas
Manhattan
New York · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$3235.21
No comparable office rate is available.
Alaska*
Alaska · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$3259.67
No comparable office rate is available.
Alabama
Alabama · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2413.13
No comparable office rate is available.
Arkansas
Arkansas · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2374.94
No comparable office rate is available.
Arizona
Arizona · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2632.96
No comparable office rate is available.
Bakersfield
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2655.78
No comparable office rate is available.
Chico
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2618.73
No comparable office rate is available.
El Centro
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2621.08
No comparable office rate is available.
Fresno
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2618.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Hanford-Corcoran
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2618.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Madera
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2618.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Merced
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2618.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Modesto
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2618.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Napa
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2865.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2751.12
No comparable office rate is available.
Redding
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2618.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of California
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2618.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2769.08
No comparable office rate is available.
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2704.30
No comparable office rate is available.
Salinas
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2693.90
No comparable office rate is available.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2728.24
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty)
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2968.45
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty)
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2952.47
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$3053.62
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty)
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2988.29
No comparable office rate is available.
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2656.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2729.98
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2696.01
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2753.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Stockton
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2618.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Vallejo
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2842.85
No comparable office rate is available.
Visalia
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2618.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Yuba City
California · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2618.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Colorado
Colorado · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2698.58
No comparable office rate is available.
Connecticut
Connecticut · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2922.70
No comparable office rate is available.
Delaware
Delaware · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2676.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Lauderdale
Florida · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$3119.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Florida
Florida · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2925.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Atlanta
Georgia · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2840.97
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Georgia
Georgia · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2722.43
No comparable office rate is available.
Hawaii, Guam
Hawaii · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2652.10
No comparable office rate is available.
Iowa
Iowa · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2369.26
No comparable office rate is available.
Idaho
Idaho · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2409.42
No comparable office rate is available.
Indiana
Indiana · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2421.75
No comparable office rate is available.
Kansas
Kansas · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2409.77
No comparable office rate is available.
Kentucky
Kentucky · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2589.58
No comparable office rate is available.
New Orleans
Louisiana · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2739.66
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Louisiana
Louisiana · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2606.24
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Boston
Massachusetts · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2905.06
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Massachusetts
Massachusetts · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2701.80
No comparable office rate is available.
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys
Maryland · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2926.36
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maryland
Maryland · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2714.01
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maine
Maine · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2479.44
No comparable office rate is available.
Southern Maine
Maine · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2546.77
No comparable office rate is available.
Detroit
Michigan · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$3019.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Michigan
Michigan · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2711.48
No comparable office rate is available.
Minnesota
Minnesota · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2423.12
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Kansas City
Missouri · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2663.16
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan St. Louis
Missouri · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2686.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Missouri
Missouri · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2593.31
No comparable office rate is available.
Mississippi
Mississippi · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2481.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Montana**
Montana · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2727.25
No comparable office rate is available.
North Carolina
North Carolina · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2498.98
No comparable office rate is available.
North Dakota**
North Dakota · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2449.03
No comparable office rate is available.
Nebraska
Nebraska · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2367.44
No comparable office rate is available.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2705.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Northern Nj
New Jersey · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2988.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New Jersey
New Jersey · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2910.32
No comparable office rate is available.
New Mexico
New Mexico · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2748.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Nevada**
Nevada · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2650.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Nyc Suburbs/Long Island
New York · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$3386.56
No comparable office rate is available.
Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs
New York · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2972.94
No comparable office rate is available.
Queens
New York · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$3185.31
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New York
New York · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2544.17
No comparable office rate is available.
Ohio
Ohio · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2654.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2528.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Portland
Oregon · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2728.45
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Oregon
Oregon · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2585.05
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2879.98
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2629.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2730.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2732.78
No comparable office rate is available.
South Carolina
South Carolina · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2590.14
No comparable office rate is available.
South Dakota**
South Dakota · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2416.14
No comparable office rate is available.
Tennessee
Tennessee · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2429.72
No comparable office rate is available.
Austin
Texas · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2728.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Beaumont
Texas · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2614.83
No comparable office rate is available.
Brazoria
Texas · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2627.75
No comparable office rate is available.
Dallas
Texas · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2670.22
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Worth
Texas · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2667.44
No comparable office rate is available.
Galveston
Texas · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2652.09
No comparable office rate is available.
Houston
Texas · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2909.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Texas
Texas · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2637.27
No comparable office rate is available.
Utah
Utah · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2626.92
No comparable office rate is available.
Virginia
Virginia · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2574.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2730.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Vermont
Vermont · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2487.14
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Washington
Washington · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2680.78
No comparable office rate is available.
Seattle (King Cnty)
Washington · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2912.41
No comparable office rate is available.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2365.65
No comparable office rate is available.
West Virginia
West Virginia · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2814.30
No comparable office rate is available.
Wyoming**
Wyoming · 61606
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$2606.00
No comparable office rate is available.
See how rates vary across the country
61606 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
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 all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
Where does this rate apply?
Chicago is a Medicare payment area. Our Census mapping connects it to 137 cities and communities in Illinois, including the examples shown here.
Some communities span more than one payment area. Follow a city link to compare all of its mapped areas, or check the service-location ZIP above for an address-level starting point.
- 61606 in Chicago
Multiple payment areas
- 61606 in Alsip
- 61606 in Arlington Heights
- 61606 in Barrington
Multiple payment areas
- 61606 in Barrington Hills
Multiple payment areas
- 61606 in Bartlett
Multiple payment areas
- 61606 in Bedford Park
- 61606 in Bellwood
Use this rate
What is a percentage of Medicare worth?
Turn a percentage into dollars for 61606 in Chicago. This uses the base rate on this page, so the locality and release stay consistent.
Reference amount per service
$3685.88
$3350.80 × 110% = $3685.88
A contract may specify another Medicare year or additional adjustments. This is percentage arithmetic on the displayed base rate, not a claim adjudication.
Working with a whole code list?
Compare an offer across your annual code mix, including an older Medicare schedule or flat per-code rates.
How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 61606 in Chicago.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,838
- Code
- 61606
- Physician work
- 41.00
- Practice expense
- 26.61
- Malpractice
- 14.07
GPCI2026.csv
48
- Locality
- Chicago
- Physician work
- 1.007
- Practice expense
- 1.005
- Malpractice
- 2.295
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 41.00 | × 1.007 | 41.2870 |
| Practice expense | 26.61 | × 1.005 | 26.7430 |
| Malpractice | 14.07 | × 2.295 | 32.2906 |
| Total RVUs | 100.3207 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Chicago$3350.80
Open 61606 in the RVU calculator →
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 41 | 1.007 |
| Practice expense | 26.61 | 1.005 |
| Malpractice | 14.07 | 2.295 |
(41 × 1.007 + 26.61 × 1.005 + 14.07 × 2.295) × $33.4009 = $3350.80
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
How this rate has changed
61606 · Office / nonfacility
Rate unavailable
Effective 2026-10-01
A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.
One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.
What changed, release by release
Explore release dates and calculate this code in an earlier period →
Each row uses the accepted CMS release effective on that date and the same contractor and locality identifiers. Missing rates stay visible. Historical boundaries may differ; verify the service address for an older claim.
Inspect every release and its CMS source
| Effective from | Office / nonfacility | Facility | CMS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $3350.80 | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $3350.80 | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $3350.80 | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $3350.80 | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $3341.42 | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $3341.42 | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $3341.42 | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $3341.42 | RVU25A |
61606 billing questions
How does this differ from 61608?
61606 is for an extradural lesion at the posterior cranial fossa base. Use 61608 when the lesion is intradural.
When would 61605 be more appropriate?
61605 describes an extradural lesion at the base of the middle cranial fossa. The lesion’s anatomic site, rather than the general skull-base approach, distinguishes it from 61606.
What should the operative report establish?
Document the lesion’s posterior cranial fossa base location, its extradural plane, the excision performed, and the drilling and dural repair involved.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral work?
No. CMS identifies modifier 50 as inappropriate for this code; its descriptor and anatomy do not support a bilateral adjustment.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeons require supporting documentation.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
6,83561600,,Resect/excise cranial lesion,A,,29.26,21.58,NA,21.58,,6.49,57.33,57.33,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,83661601,,Resect/excise cranial lesion,A,,30.36,29.56,NA,29.56,,11.95,71.87,71.87,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,83761605,,Resect/excise cranial lesion,A,,31.76,19.93,NA,19.93,,5.57,57.26,57.26,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,83861606,,Resect/excise cranial lesion,A,,41.00,26.61,NA,26.61,,14.07,81.68,81.68,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,83961607,,Resect/excise cranial lesion,A,,39.91,23.47,NA,23.47,,11.26,74.64,74.64,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,84061608,,Resect/excise cranial lesion,A,,44.40,32.16,NA,32.16,,18.09,94.65,94.65,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,84161611,,Transect artery sinus,A,,7.22,2.53,NA,2.53,,3.04,12.79,12.79,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4510212,GA,99,REST OF GEORGIA,1.000,0.892,1.192
4601212,HI,01,"HAWAII, GUAM",1.000,1.137,0.579
4702202,ID,00,IDAHO,1.000,0.920,0.473
4806102,IL,16,CHICAGO,1.007,1.005,2.295
4906102,IL,12,EAST ST. LOUIS,1.000,0.920,2.014
5006102,IL,15,SUBURBAN CHICAGO,1.007,1.027,1.772
5106102,IL,99,REST OF ILLINOIS,1.000,0.913,1.563