Billing code 63011: Sacral laminectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Sacral laminectomy for one or two vertebral segments is reported when posterior bone removal explores or decompresses the sacral canal or cauda equina.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63011 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 63011 covers
The surgeon removes posterior sacral bone to expose the spinal canal for exploration or decompression of the cauda equina. This code describes work at one or two sacral vertebral segments, without decompression by facet removal, foraminal enlargement, or disc removal. Neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons typically perform the procedure in a hospital operating room for conditions affecting the sacral canal or cauda equina.
Select the code by the treated spinal region and number of vertebral segments, not by the incision length or number of sides. The operative report should identify the sacral levels and describe the bone removal and the decompression or exploration performed. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. 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 not appropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid, and co-surgeons are permitted; 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.
63011 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Unavailable | $995.41 |
How the 63011 rate is calculated
Each of 63011’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 · 63011
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 15.51Practice expense 10.72Malpractice 4.03
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63011
63011 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63011
Sacral laminectomy
| 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) | 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 · 63011
Sacral laminectomy
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
63011 without 51 · national facility
$1,010.71
Sacral laminectomy
63011-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$505.36
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%).
63011 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
63011 vs 63005 vs 63012 vs 63017 vs 63030: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 63005Lumbar laminectomy
- Use 63005 for the corresponding one- or two-segment laminectomy in the lumbar region. Use 63011 when the treated segments are sacral.
- 63012Lumbar decompression
- Code 63012 describes lumbar work involving removal of facets in a spondylolisthesis context. This code describes sacral laminectomy without that facet-removal approach.
- 63017Lumbar laminectomy
- Code 63017 describes a lumbar laminectomy spanning more than two segments. This code is for one or two sacral segments.
- 63030Lumbar decompression
- Code 63030 describes lumbar laminotomy for nerve-root decompression. This code describes sacral laminectomy for canal or cauda equina exploration or decompression.
63011 billing questions
How is this code different from 63005?
This code is for one or two sacral vertebral segments. Code 63005 describes the corresponding laminectomy service in the lumbar region.
Can this code be reported when the surgeon also removes a facet or disc?
The service described here excludes decompression by facetectomy, foraminotomy, or discectomy. Review the operative work and applicable coding rules before reporting another procedure for additional work.
Should modifier 50 be used for bilateral sacral decompression?
No. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this code; the CMS descriptor and anatomy do not support a bilateral adjustment.
What documentation supports reporting one or two segments?
The operative report should identify the sacral level or levels treated and describe the laminectomy and the exploration or decompression performed.
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.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid, and co-surgeons are permitted. Team surgery is not permitted.
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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