No office rate
Use 61736 for one trajectory treating one simple lesion; use 61737 for multiple trajectories or multiple or complex lesions.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
61737 in El Centro
Office / nonfacility
Not available in this setting
Base rate per service
Facility setting
$1248.40
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 61737: Intracranial laser thermal ablation, complex
Reports intracranial laser interstitial thermal therapy involving multiple trajectories or multiple or complex lesions, performed to thermally ablate selected brain lesions.
A neurosurgeon uses stereotactic planning to guide laser probes through one or more small cranial openings and heat targeted intracranial tissue. The technique may be used for selected brain tumors or epileptogenic lesions when thermal ablation is the planned treatment. This code represents the more involved LITT service, such as treatment requiring multiple trajectories or addressing multiple or complex lesions; it is not the single-trajectory, single-simple-lesion service.
Select the code from the operative plan and report: documentation should identify the lesion or lesions treated, their relevant complexity, the trajectories used, and the ablation performed. The stereotactic work integral to the LITT service is not separately reported as another portion of this procedure. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. For a qualifying bilateral procedure, modifier 50 applies and Medicare pays at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 61737
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU22.10 · 55%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.99 · 22%
- Malpractice RVU9.33 · 23%
86
Medicare services in 2024 · #4993 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.
61737 compared with similar codes
Office rates for El Centro, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
61796 reports stereotactic radiosurgery for a simple cranial lesion. This code reports laser interstitial thermal ablation, not radiosurgery.
No office rate
61798 reports stereotactic radiosurgery for a complex cranial lesion. Choose this code when the performed treatment is LITT instead.
The same code, a different location
How does El Centro compare?
61737 across payment areas
Same release and payment basis · bars start at $0
El Centro · 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.
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.
Other payment areas listed in California 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
Merced
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1246.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Modesto
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1246.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Napa
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1338.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1307.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Redding
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1246.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of California
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1246.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1346.37
No comparable office rate is available.
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1280.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Salinas
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1276.09
No comparable office rate is available.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1288.34
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty)
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1374.71
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty)
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1364.11
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1419.39
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty)
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1376.07
No comparable office rate is available.
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1259.75
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1285.53
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1275.98
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1296.08
No comparable office rate is available.
Stockton
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1246.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Vallejo
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1323.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Visalia
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1246.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Yuba City
California · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1246.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Dc + Md/Va Suburbs
District of Columbia · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1478.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Miami
Florida · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1838.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Chicago
Illinois · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1760.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Manhattan
New York · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1628.57
No comparable office rate is available.
Alaska*
Alaska · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1598.74
No comparable office rate is available.
Alabama
Alabama · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1177.28
No comparable office rate is available.
Arkansas
Arkansas · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1156.58
No comparable office rate is available.
Arizona
Arizona · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1295.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Colorado
Colorado · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1309.89
No comparable office rate is available.
Connecticut
Connecticut · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1453.39
No comparable office rate is available.
Delaware
Delaware · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1318.68
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Lauderdale
Florida · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1605.77
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Florida
Florida · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1493.60
No comparable office rate is available.
Atlanta
Georgia · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1419.72
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Georgia
Georgia · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1377.47
No comparable office rate is available.
Hawaii, Guam
Hawaii · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1260.01
No comparable office rate is available.
Iowa
Iowa · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1136.63
No comparable office rate is available.
Idaho
Idaho · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1161.81
No comparable office rate is available.
East St. Louis
Illinois · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1642.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Illinois
Illinois · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1499.39
No comparable office rate is available.
Suburban Chicago
Illinois · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1603.92
No comparable office rate is available.
Indiana
Indiana · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1167.97
No comparable office rate is available.
Kansas
Kansas · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1166.67
No comparable office rate is available.
Kentucky
Kentucky · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1290.25
No comparable office rate is available.
New Orleans
Louisiana · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1374.73
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Louisiana
Louisiana · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1302.44
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Boston
Massachusetts · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1404.30
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Massachusetts
Massachusetts · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1314.53
No comparable office rate is available.
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys
Maryland · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1457.65
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maryland
Maryland · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1335.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maine
Maine · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1208.25
No comparable office rate is available.
Southern Maine
Maine · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1232.37
No comparable office rate is available.
Detroit
Michigan · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1553.33
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Michigan
Michigan · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1364.14
No comparable office rate is available.
Minnesota
Minnesota · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1139.38
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Kansas City
Missouri · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1324.58
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan St. Louis
Missouri · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1336.27
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Missouri
Missouri · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1300.52
No comparable office rate is available.
Mississippi
Mississippi · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1226.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Montana**
Montana · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1349.44
No comparable office rate is available.
North Carolina
North Carolina · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1217.45
No comparable office rate is available.
North Dakota**
North Dakota · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1164.96
No comparable office rate is available.
Nebraska
Nebraska · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1133.11
No comparable office rate is available.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1323.42
No comparable office rate is available.
Northern Nj
New Jersey · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1465.80
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New Jersey
New Jersey · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1437.44
No comparable office rate is available.
New Mexico
New Mexico · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1387.78
No comparable office rate is available.
Nevada**
Nevada · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1298.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Nyc Suburbs/Long Island
New York · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1721.13
No comparable office rate is available.
Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs
New York · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1477.25
No comparable office rate is available.
Queens
New York · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1589.70
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New York
New York · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1242.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Ohio
Ohio · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1326.43
No comparable office rate is available.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1248.44
No comparable office rate is available.
Portland
Oregon · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1315.43
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Oregon
Oregon · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1256.31
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1435.81
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1308.30
No comparable office rate is available.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1348.69
No comparable office rate is available.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1340.34
No comparable office rate is available.
South Carolina
South Carolina · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1280.50
No comparable office rate is available.
South Dakota**
South Dakota · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1143.14
No comparable office rate is available.
Tennessee
Tennessee · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1178.45
No comparable office rate is available.
Austin
Texas · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1333.43
No comparable office rate is available.
Beaumont
Texas · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1300.91
No comparable office rate is available.
Brazoria
Texas · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1284.71
No comparable office rate is available.
Dallas
Texas · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1311.26
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Worth
Texas · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1312.30
No comparable office rate is available.
Galveston
Texas · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1300.27
No comparable office rate is available.
Houston
Texas · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1471.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Texas
Texas · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1304.52
No comparable office rate is available.
Utah
Utah · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1300.26
No comparable office rate is available.
Virginia
Virginia · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1253.34
No comparable office rate is available.
Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1348.69
No comparable office rate is available.
Vermont
Vermont · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1193.12
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Washington
Washington · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1301.10
No comparable office rate is available.
Seattle (King Cnty)
Washington · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1398.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1121.80
No comparable office rate is available.
West Virginia
West Virginia · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1445.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Wyoming**
Wyoming · 61737
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1269.04
No comparable office rate is available.
See how rates vary across the country
61737 · 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?
El Centro is a Medicare payment area. Our Census mapping connects it to 18 cities and communities in California, 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.
Use this rate
What is a percentage of Medicare worth?
Turn a percentage into dollars for 61737 in El Centro. This uses the base rate on this page, so the locality and release stay consistent.
Reference amount per service
$1373.24
$1248.40 × 110% = $1373.24
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 61737 in El Centro.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,879
- Code
- 61737
- Physician work
- 22.10
- Practice expense
- 8.99
- Malpractice
- 9.33
GPCI2026.csv
10
- Locality
- El Centro
- Physician work
- 1.017
- Practice expense
- 1.096
- Malpractice
- 0.541
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 22.10 | × 1.017 | 22.4757 |
| Practice expense | 8.99 | × 1.096 | 9.8530 |
| Malpractice | 9.33 | × 0.541 | 5.0475 |
| Total RVUs | 37.3763 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, El Centro$1248.40
Open 61737 in the RVU calculator →
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 22.1 | 1.017 |
| Practice expense | 8.99 | 1.096 |
| Malpractice | 9.33 | 0.541 |
(22.1 × 1.017 + 8.99 × 1.096 + 9.33 × 0.541) × $33.4009 = $1248.40
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
61737 · 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 | $1248.40 | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $1248.40 | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $1248.40 | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $1248.40 | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $1341.78 | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $1341.78 | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $1341.78 | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $1341.78 | RVU25A |
61737 billing questions
How does this code differ from 61736?
61736 is for LITT using one trajectory to treat one simple lesion. Report 61737 when the service involves multiple trajectories or multiple or complex lesions.
Can stereotactic guidance be billed separately?
The stereotactic work integral to the LITT service is included in this procedure. Do not separately report that same work as a distinct service.
What documentation supports choosing 61737?
The operative report should describe the treated lesion or lesions, the reason the treatment is multiple or complex, the trajectories used, and the laser ablation performed.
How is a bilateral procedure reported?
For a qualifying bilateral procedure, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral service at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 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.
6,87661720,,Incise skull/brain surgery,A,,17.18,13.38,NA,13.38,,7.25,37.81,37.81,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,87761735,,Incise skull/brain surgery,A,,21.79,16.06,NA,16.06,,9.19,47.04,47.04,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,87861736,,Litt icr 1 traj 1 smpl les,A,,18.58,7.75,NA,7.75,,7.85,34.18,34.18,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,87961737,,Litt icr mlt trj mlt/cplx ls,A,,22.10,8.99,NA,8.99,,9.33,40.42,40.42,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,88061750,,Incise skull/brain biopsy,A,,19.33,14.03,NA,14.03,,8.12,41.48,41.48,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,88161751,,Brain biopsy w/ct/mr guide,A,,18.32,15.49,NA,15.49,,7.70,41.51,41.51,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,88261760,,Implant brain electrodes,A,,21.83,15.49,NA,15.49,,9.21,46.53,46.53,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515
801112,CA,54,BAKERSFIELD,1.019,1.096,0.609
901112,CA,55,CHICO,1.017,1.096,0.536
1001182,CA,71,EL CENTRO,1.017,1.096,0.541
1101112,CA,56,FRESNO,1.017,1.096,0.536
1201112,CA,57,HANFORD-CORCORAN,1.017,1.096,0.536
1301182,CA,18,LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH-ANAHEIM (LOS ANGELES/ORANGE CNTY),1.041,1.183,0.664