Billing code 61531: Brain electrode implantMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports craniectomy-based placement of cerebral cortical neurostimulator electrodes when a surgeon implants an electrode array for cortical stimulation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61531 in Alaska.
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 9 sections
What 61531 covers
A neurosurgeon uses a craniectomy or bone-flap approach to place neurostimulator electrodes on the cerebral cortex. The service involves operative access and electrode placement for cortical stimulation, rather than temporary electrodes placed to monitor seizures. It is performed in an operating room, generally as part of a planned neurosurgical treatment involving cortical stimulation.
Select this code when the operative report supports implantation of cortical neurostimulator electrodes; document the cortical target, approach, and placement. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the 90-day global period. 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. CMS may pay for an assistant at surgery and permits co-surgeons; team surgery 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.
61531 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $1,433.99 |
How the 61531 rate is calculated
Each of 61531’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 · 61531
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work16.00
16.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense14.29
14.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice6.74
6.74 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
37.0300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,236.84
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61531
61531 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61531
Brain electrode implant
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 2 | Permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.11/0.76/0.13 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 61531
Brain electrode implant
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
61531 without 51 · national facility
$1,236.84
Brain electrode implant
61531-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$618.42
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%).
61531 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 61533Brain electrode placement
- Choose 61531 for cortical neurostimulator electrodes; 61533 describes electrode implantation for long-term seizure monitoring.
- 61863Brain electrode placement
- 61531 concerns cortical electrode placement. 61863 describes stereotactic implantation of a neurostimulator electrode array at a subcortical site.
- 61535Electrode removal
- 61531 reports electrode implantation. 61535 describes removal of cerebral electrodes, a separate removal procedure.
61531 billing questions
How is this different from 61533?
61531 is for implantation of cortical neurostimulator electrodes. Use 61533 for electrodes placed for long-term seizure monitoring.
Can electrode placement for seizure monitoring be reported with 61531?
No. Seizure-monitoring electrodes are the distinct service represented by 61533; 61531 describes cortical neurostimulator electrode implantation.
Is modifier 50 appropriate?
No. The descriptor and anatomy do not support reporting this service as a bilateral procedure.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS permits payment for an assistant at surgery and permits co-surgeons. Team surgery is not permitted for this code.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures performed in that session are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction.
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
Fee sheets
Put 61531 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →