Billing code 61120: Ventricular punctureMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Reports neurosurgical access to a cerebral ventricle through a burr hole for diagnostic sampling or delivery of medication or another substance.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61120 in Delaware.
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 61120 covers
A neurosurgeon creates a burr hole to reach a cerebral ventricle with a puncture instrument. The access can be used to obtain ventricular cerebrospinal fluid or to introduce medication or another substance for diagnosis or treatment. This is a surgical service typically performed in a facility, such as during evaluation or treatment of a patient with a need for direct ventricular access.
Report 61120 when the operative service is ventricular puncture through a burr hole, rather than placement of a ventricular catheter or a procedure directed at a brain lesion. The operative report should identify the ventricular access, the reason for puncture, and any sampling or injection performed. The code has a 90-day global period, including 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 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
61120 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Unavailable | $757.91 |
How the 61120 rate is calculated
Each of 61120’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 · 61120
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 9.36Practice expense 9.87Malpractice 3.93
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61120
61120 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61120
Ventricular puncture
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not 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 · 61120
Ventricular puncture
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
61120 without 51 · national facility
$773.56
Ventricular puncture
61120-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$386.78
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%).
61120 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
61120 vs 61105 vs 61107 vs 61210 vs 62270: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 61105Twist-drill puncture
- 61105 describes twist-drill access for subdural or ventricular puncture. Use 61120 when the operative approach is a burr hole.
- 61107Ventricular catheter
- 61107 is for ventricular catheter placement through a twist-drill opening. 61120 is for ventricular puncture through a burr hole.
- 61210Ventricular access
- 61210 covers burr-hole placement of a ventricular catheter, reservoir, or drainage connection; 61120 covers puncture access without that catheter-placement service.
- 62270Lumbar puncture
- 62270 is a lumbar puncture for spinal access. Choose 61120 when the surgeon accesses a cerebral ventricle through a burr hole.
61120 billing questions
How is 61120 different from 61107?
61120 describes ventricular puncture through a burr hole. 61107 uses a twist-drill opening for ventricular catheter placement, so select based on the access and service actually performed.
When is 61210 a better fit?
Use 61210 for burr-hole placement of a ventricular catheter, reservoir, or drainage-system connection. 61120 describes puncture access rather than that catheter or device placement.
Can 61120 be reported with a brain biopsy code?
The operative service must support each reported procedure. A burr-hole approach alone does not establish a separate biopsy service; the documentation must show that a brain or lesion biopsy was performed.
Should modifier 50 be appended for bilateral ventricular access?
No. CMS identifies modifier 50 as inappropriate for this code’s descriptor or anatomy.
What supports assistant-at-surgery payment?
The record must document why an assistant was medically necessary for the operation. CMS permits assistant payment for 61120 only with that medical-necessity documentation.
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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