CPT code 63087: Vertebral body removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports anterior removal of a thoracolumbar vertebral body segment to decompress the spinal cord or nerve roots at that level.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63087 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 63087 covers
CPT 63087 covers partial or complete removal of one thoracolumbar vertebral body through an anterior approach, with decompression of the spinal cord or nerve roots. Spine surgeons, including orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons, typically perform it in an operating room for conditions such as a destructive vertebral lesion or collapse that compresses neural structures. The operative report should establish the treated level, anterior approach, vertebral-body resection, and decompression performed.
Select 63087 for one thoracolumbar segment; report the add-on code 63088 for each additional qualifying segment. The record should distinguish the resected segments and describe the decompression rather than relying only on a diagnosis. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
63087 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $2,734.63 |
How the 63087 rate is calculated
Each of 63087’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 · 63087
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work36.59
36.59 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense19.06
19.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice12.14
12.14 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
67.7900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$2,264.25
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63087
63087 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63087
Vertebral body removal
| 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) | 2 | 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 · 63087
Vertebral body removal
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
63087 without 51 · national facility
$2,264.25
Vertebral body removal
63087-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,132.13
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%).
63087 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63085Thoracic corpectomy
- Use 63085 for a thoracic segment; 63087 is the corresponding code for a thoracolumbar segment.
- 63090Vertebral corpectomy
- Use 63090 when the treated segment is lumbar rather than thoracolumbar.
- 63088Vertebral resection
- 63088 is the add-on for each additional thoracolumbar segment, not the first-segment service reported with 63087.
63087 billing questions
When is 63087 selected instead of 63085 or 63090?
Choose by the vertebral segment’s region: 63087 is for a thoracolumbar segment, 63085 for a thoracic segment, and 63090 for a lumbar segment.
How are additional thoracolumbar segments reported?
Report 63087 for the first segment and 63088 for each additional qualifying thoracolumbar segment. The operative note should identify the segments treated.
Does 63087 include neural decompression?
Yes. The reported service includes vertebral-body removal with decompression of the spinal cord or nerve roots.
What documentation supports 63087?
The operative report should identify the thoracolumbar level, anterior approach, partial or complete vertebral-body removal, and the neural structures decompressed.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
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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