Billing code 62194: Shunt catheter serviceMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Reports replacement or irrigation of a catheter used for intracranial cerebrospinal fluid drainage, such as during treatment of a malfunctioning shunt.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 62194 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 62194 covers
A neurosurgeon reports this service when an existing catheter used for intracranial cerebrospinal fluid drainage is replaced or irrigated. It may be performed in a hospital or other surgical setting for a patient with a CSF diversion system, including one placed to manage hydrocephalus. The work concerns the catheter intervention rather than establishing a new shunt. The operative record should identify the catheter treated and describe the replacement or irrigation performed.
Select the code based on the catheter service actually performed, and document the clinical reason, such as suspected obstruction, along with the operative findings and work. CMS assigns a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. 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 multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented; 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.
62194 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Unavailable | $516.63 |
How the 62194 rate is calculated
Each of 62194’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 · 62194
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 5.64Practice expense 7.78Malpractice 2.35
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 62194
62194 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 62194
Shunt catheter service
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 62194
Shunt catheter service
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
62194 without 51 · national facility
$526.73
Shunt catheter service
62194-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$263.37
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%).
62194 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
62194 vs 62190 vs 62192 vs 62223 vs 62256: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 62190CSF shunt
- 62190 describes establishing a brain-cavity shunt. Use 62194 when the service is replacement or irrigation of an existing catheter.
- 62192CSF shunt
- 62192 establishes a brain-cavity shunt; 62194 addresses catheter work on an existing drainage system.
- 62223CSF shunt creation
- 62223 is for establishing a CSF shunt. It does not describe replacement or irrigation of an existing catheter.
- 62256Shunt removal
- 62256 describes removal of a complete CSF shunt system without replacement, rather than catheter replacement or irrigation.
62194 billing questions
How is this different from establishing a new CSF shunt?
This code describes work on a catheter in an existing drainage system. A procedure that establishes a new shunt is coded to the applicable shunt-creation code.
What documentation supports reporting the service?
Document the catheter treated, whether it was replaced or irrigated, the reason for intervention, and the operative work and findings.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in this procedure's global package.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this catheter service.
When is an assistant at surgery payable?
CMS pays an assistant at surgery only when the record documents medical necessity.
How does CMS handle another procedure performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in the session 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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