No office rate
Both codes concern cortical electrode implantation without stereotactic guidance. Choose 61850 for twist-drill or burr-hole access and 61860 when the operative approach is craniotomy or craniectomy.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
61850 Cortical electrode implant Medicare reimbursement rates in Arkansas
Reports placement of a cortical neurostimulator electrode array through twist-drill or burr-hole access without stereotactic guidance, commonly for epilepsy treatment. Compare 61850 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Arkansas.
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 61850 in Arkansas?
Arkansas 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
$848.72
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Arkansas
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 61850: Cortical electrode implantation through burr holes
Reports placement of a cortical neurostimulator electrode array through twist-drill or burr-hole access without stereotactic guidance, commonly for epilepsy treatment.
Code 61850 describes cranial access through one or more small twist-drill or burr holes to place an electrode array on the cerebral cortex. A neurosurgeon may perform this for cortical neurostimulation in a patient with focal epilepsy. The code includes securing the array when fixation is performed; it does not describe a craniotomy-based cortical approach or implantation of a subcortical array.
Choose this code when the operative report supports cortical electrode placement through burr-hole or twist-drill access without stereotactic guidance. Document the target, approach, electrode placement, and any fixation performed. CMS classifies the service as major surgery: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 61850
- 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
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU13.01 · 44%
- Practice expense (office) RVU11.15 · 38%
- Malpractice RVU5.48 · 18%
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.
61850 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Arkansas, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Code 61850 is for a cortical target; 61863 is for a subcortical array placed without stereotactic guidance.
No office rate
Code 61867 describes subcortical array placement with stereotactic guidance, unlike 61850's cortical target and nonstereotactic approach.
Compare 61850 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
Arkansas →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$848.72
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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 61850 in Arkansas.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,894
- Code
- 61850
- Physician work
- 13.01
- Practice expense
- 11.15
- Malpractice
- 5.48
GPCI2026.csv
7
- Locality
- Arkansas
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.859
- Malpractice
- 0.515
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 13.01 | × 1.000 | 13.0100 |
| Practice expense | 11.15 | × 0.859 | 9.5778 |
| Malpractice | 5.48 | × 0.515 | 2.8222 |
| Total RVUs | 25.4100 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Arkansas$848.72
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 13.01 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 11.15 | 0.859 |
| Malpractice | 5.48 | 0.515 |
(13.01 × 1 + 11.15 × 0.859 + 5.48 × 0.515) × $33.4009 = $848.72
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.
61850 billing questions
When should 61850 be chosen instead of 61860?
Use 61850 for cortical electrode placement through twist-drill or burr-hole access. Code 61860 describes a craniotomy or craniectomy approach for cortical electrode placement.
Does 61850 include the neurostimulator generator?
No. This code represents cortical electrode placement, not implantation of a pulse generator or receiver. A separately performed generator service may be reported using the code that matches the device and configuration.
Is array fixation separately reported?
Fixation performed as part of placing the array is included in 61850. The operative note should support the electrode placement and the approach used.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral placement?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for 61850. Report the service according to its descriptor and documented procedure.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative visits?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global surgical service.
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.
6,89161798,,Srs cranial lesion complex,A,,19.35,12.76,NA,12.76,,7.96,40.07,40.07,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,0,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,89261799,,Srs cran les complex addl,A,,4.69,1.63,NA,1.63,,1.93,8.25,8.25,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,89361800,,Apply srs headframe add-on,A,,2.19,1.25,NA,1.25,,0.92,4.36,4.36,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,89461850,,Implant neuroelectrodes,A,,13.01,11.15,NA,11.15,,5.48,29.64,29.64,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,89561860,,Implant neuroelectrodes,A,,21.70,14.97,NA,14.97,,9.17,45.84,45.84,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,89661863,,Implant neuroelectrode,A,,20.19,16.07,NA,16.07,,8.53,44.79,44.79,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,89761864,,Implant neuroelectrde addl,A,,4.38,1.54,NA,1.54,,1.84,7.76,7.76,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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
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