Billing code 61546: Pituitary surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports transcranial removal of the pituitary gland or excision of a pituitary tumor when the surgeon reaches the sellar region through a cranial approach.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61546 in Florida.
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 61546 covers
This code describes a transcranial operation to remove the pituitary gland or excise a pituitary tumor. A neurosurgeon performs the procedure in an operating room, using a cranial route to reach the sellar region. The operative report should establish the pituitary target and identify the transcranial approach; a transnasal or transsphenoidal route points to a different code.
Report the service for the documented operation, not simply because a pituitary lesion was treated. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Do not append modifier 50 for pituitary removal. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and 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.
Where 61546 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | Unavailable | $2,613.03 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $2,963.78 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $2,433.78 |
How the 61546 rate is calculated
Each of 61546’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 · 61546
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 32.60Practice expense 20.47Malpractice 13.77
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61546
61546 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61546
Pituitary surgery
| 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) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 61546
Pituitary surgery
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
61546 without 51 · national facility
$2,232.52
Pituitary surgery
61546-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,116.26
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%).
61546 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
61546 vs 61548 vs 62165: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 61548Pituitary surgery
- Both address pituitary removal or tumor excision, but 61546 is transcranial; 61548 uses a transnasal or transseptal approach.
- 62165Pituitary tumor removal
- Use 62165 for neuroendoscopic pituitary tumor excision through a transnasal or transsphenoidal route, rather than a transcranial operation.
61546 billing questions
How do I distinguish this code from 61548?
Use 61546 for a transcranial route. Code 61548 describes pituitary removal or tumor excision by a transnasal or transseptal route.
When is 62165 a better fit?
Use 62165 when the pituitary tumor is excised through a neuroendoscopic transnasal or transsphenoidal approach. The documented approach, rather than the diagnosis alone, distinguishes it from 61546.
What should the operative report document?
Document the pituitary gland or tumor treated and the cranial route used to reach it. The report should make clear that the operation was transcranial rather than transnasal or transsphenoidal.
Does modifier 50 apply?
No. Report the transcranial pituitary operation without modifier 50; pituitary removal is not a bilateral procedure.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. Related care during that period is included in the surgical service.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and 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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