Billing code 61559: Cranial suture surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports surgical excision of fused cranial suture tissue in craniosynostosis when the documented operation removes synostotic skull rather than merely releasing or incising it.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61559 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 61559 covers
This code describes operative removal of fused cranial suture tissue as part of treatment for craniosynostosis. The procedure is generally performed by a neurosurgeon or craniofacial surgeon in a hospital operating room, often for an infant or child with a restricted skull growth pattern. The operative report should make clear that the surgeon excised the synostotic tissue and should identify the treated suture or skull region and the work performed.
Report the code when the documented procedure matches excision, rather than a release or incision of the suture. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur 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 code. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and 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.
61559 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $2,737.67 |
How the 61559 rate is calculated
Each of 61559’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 · 61559
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work33.17
33.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense23.00
23.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice14.00
14.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
70.1700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$2,343.74
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61559
61559 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61559
Cranial suture surgery
| 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) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 61559
Cranial suture surgery
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
61559 without 51 · national facility
$2,343.74
Cranial suture surgery
61559-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,171.87
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%).
61559 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 61558Craniosynostosis surgery
- Both are cranial suture excision codes. Apply the full code descriptors to the operative scope and details rather than selecting by the shared short description alone.
- 61556Suture surgery
- This code describes incision of skull or suture tissue. Use 61559 when the documented operation excises synostotic tissue.
- 61550Craniosynostosis surgery
- This code describes release of skull seams. The distinction is the operative work: release versus excision.
- 61563Skull tumor excision
- This code concerns excision of a skull tumor. 61559 is for cranial suture excision in the setting of synostosis, not tumor removal.
61559 billing questions
How is this different from a cranial suture release or incision code?
Use this code when the operative record supports excision of synostotic tissue. Codes describing release or incision represent different operative work; the documented technique should drive selection.
Does the 90-day global include postoperative care?
Yes. The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
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.
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
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