No office rate
This related code describes a different infratentorial tumor-excision circumstance. Compare the complete descriptors and operative report rather than choosing based on the general phrase “brain lesion.”
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
61526 Brain lesion removal Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama
Reports operative removal of an infratentorial brain lesion, with code selection based on the lesion and operative approach documented by the neurosurgeon. Compare 61526 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alabama.
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.
What does Medicare pay for 61526 in Alabama?
Alabama has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$2710.06
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alabama
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Neurosurgery
About 61526: Infratentorial brain lesion removal
Reports operative removal of an infratentorial brain lesion, with code selection based on the lesion and operative approach documented by the neurosurgeon.
A neurosurgeon uses an operative cranial approach to remove a lesion in the infratentorial portion of the brain, such as tissue in the posterior fossa. The service is generally performed in a hospital operating room and may involve removal of lesion tissue for treatment and pathologic examination. The operative report should identify the lesion, its location, and the approach and work performed.
Select this code using the complete CPT descriptor and the operative details; nearby codes distinguish procedures by factors such as lesion type, location, or approach. The report should support the specific code selected, rather than relying only on a diagnosis label. This major surgery includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons are permitted, but team surgery is not.
CMS billing rules for 61526
- 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
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU52.73 · 58%
- Practice expense (office) RVU22.42 · 25%
- Malpractice RVU15.53 · 17%
193
Medicare services in 2024 · #4354 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.
61526 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
This code is specific to meningioma excision. Use the code whose descriptor matches the lesion and procedure documented.
No office rate
This related code identifies cerebellopontine angle tumor excision. The documented tumor location and operative service distinguish it from this code.
Compare 61526 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Alabama →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$2710.06
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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 61526 in Alabama.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,790
- Code
- 61526
- Physician work
- 52.73
- Practice expense
- 22.42
- Malpractice
- 15.53
GPCI2026.csv
4
- Locality
- Alabama
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.875
- Malpractice
- 0.566
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 52.73 | × 1.000 | 52.7300 |
| Practice expense | 22.42 | × 0.875 | 19.6175 |
| Malpractice | 15.53 | × 0.566 | 8.7900 |
| Total RVUs | 81.1375 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Alabama$2710.06
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 52.73 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 22.42 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 15.53 | 0.566 |
(52.73 × 1 + 22.42 × 0.875 + 15.53 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $2710.06
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.
61526 billing questions
How should this code be distinguished from nearby brain-lesion removal codes?
Use the complete CPT descriptor and operative report to distinguish lesion type, anatomic location, and surgical approach. The short CMS descriptor alone does not establish the correct code among these related procedures.
Does the 90-day global period include postoperative care?
Yes. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this procedure.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons are permitted; team surgery is not.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50% when performed in the same session.
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.
6,78761521,,Removal of brain lesion,A,,45.82,25.49,NA,25.49,,18.83,90.14,90.14,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,78861522,,Removal of brain abscess,A,,30.75,19.82,NA,19.82,,12.98,63.55,63.55,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,78961524,,Removal of brain lesion,A,,29.14,19.26,NA,19.26,,12.32,60.72,60.72,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,79061526,,Removal of brain lesion,A,,52.73,22.42,NA,22.42,,15.53,90.68,90.68,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,79161530,,Removal of brain lesion,A,,44.42,24.63,NA,24.63,,18.76,87.81,87.81,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,79261531,,Implant brain electrodes,A,,16.00,14.29,NA,14.29,,6.74,37.03,37.03,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,79361533,,Implant brain electrodes,A,,20.92,15.31,NA,15.31,,8.83,45.06,45.06,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1ADDENDUM E. FINAL CY 2026 GEOGRAPHIC PRACTICE COST INDICES (GPCIs) BY STATE AND MEDICARE LOCALITY,,,,,,
2,,,,,,
3Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC),State,Locality Number,Locality Name,2026 PW GPCI (with 1.0 Floor)***,2026 PE GPCI,2026 MP GPCI
410112,AL,00,ALABAMA,1.000,0.875,0.566
502102,AK,01,ALASKA*,1.500,1.065,0.551
603102,AZ,00,ARIZONA,1.000,0.969,0.856
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515