Billing code 64628: Basivertebral ablationMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports image-guided thermal destruction of the intraosseous basivertebral nerve in up to the first two lumbar or sacral vertebral bodies.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 64628 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 64628 covers
This service uses a needle-based approach to thermally ablate the basivertebral nerve within lumbar or sacral vertebral bodies. It is generally performed by an interventional pain physician or spine specialist for selected patients with vertebrogenic axial low back pain associated with vertebral endplate changes. Imaging guidance is part of the service. Procedures are commonly performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgery center.
Report 64628 for treatment of the first one or two lumbar or sacral vertebral bodies; report 64629 for each additional body treated. The operative record should identify the treated vertebral levels and support the intraosseous target and thermal ablation. Guidance is included, so it is not separately reported as imaging for this procedure. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted, and 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.
Where 64628 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 | $385.57 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $405.93 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $372.09 |
How the 64628 rate is calculated
Each of 64628’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 · 64628
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 6.97Practice expense 3.23Malpractice 0.72
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 64628
64628 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 64628
Basivertebral ablation
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| 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 · 64628
Basivertebral ablation
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
64628 without 51 · national facility
$364.74
Basivertebral ablation
64628-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$182.37
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%).
64628 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
64628 vs 64629 vs 64635 vs 64625: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 64629Basivertebral nerve ablation
- 64628 covers the first one or two lumbar or sacral vertebral bodies. 64629 is reported for each additional vertebral body treated.
- 64635Facet nerve ablation
- 64635 is lumbar or sacral facet-joint nerve destruction. Choose 64628 when the ablation target is the intraosseous basivertebral nerve within vertebral bodies.
- 64625Radiofrequency ablation
- 64625 addresses nerves supplying the sacroiliac joint; 64628 targets the basivertebral nerve inside lumbar or sacral vertebral bodies.
64628 billing questions
When is 64628 reported instead of 64629?
64628 covers treatment of the first one or two lumbar or sacral vertebral bodies. Use 64629 for each additional vertebral body treated beyond those first two.
Can imaging guidance be billed separately?
No. Imaging guidance is included in 64628; it is not separately reported as guidance for this ablation.
What documentation supports the number of units?
Document the vertebral levels treated and the intraosseous basivertebral nerve ablation performed at each level. The additional-body code is reported per vertebral body beyond the first two.
Does modifier 50 apply when treatment is on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; do not append modifier 50.
Are related postoperative visits separately payable?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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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