CPT code 63287: Spinal lesion surgery2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports operative biopsy or removal of a lesion within the spinal cord substance in the thoracolumbar region, rather than outside the cord.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63287 in Georgia.
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 63287 covers
A neurosurgeon uses an operative approach to reach a lesion within the spinal cord substance in the thoracolumbar region, obtain tissue, remove the lesion, or do both. The code is specific to an intradural, intramedullary lesion; a mass outside the cord, even if it is intradural, has a different anatomic relationship. These procedures are generally performed in a hospital operating room, and the operative report should establish the lesion’s level and its location within the cord.
Report the service when the documented operation is a biopsy or excision of an intramedullary lesion at the thoracolumbar level. The record should support the treated segment, the lesion’s intradural and intramedullary location, and the work performed. Medicare assigns 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 others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; 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 63287 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $2,768.19 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $2,661.99 |
How the 63287 rate is calculated
Each of 63287’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 · 63287
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work39.08
39.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense23.50
23.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice16.49
16.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
79.0700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$2,641.01
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63287
63287 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63287
Spinal lesion 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 · 63287
Spinal lesion 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
63287 without 51 · national facility
$2,641.01
Spinal lesion surgery
63287-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,320.51
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%).
63287 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63286Spinal lesion surgery
- This code is for an intradural, intramedullary lesion in the thoracolumbar region; 63286 identifies the thoracic region.
- 63282Spinal lesion surgery
- 63282 concerns an intradural spinal lesion in the lumbar region, not specifically a lesion within the spinal cord substance. Confirm the lesion compartment before choosing.
- 63277Spinal lesion surgery
- 63277 is for biopsy or excision of an extradural lesion in the lumbar region. This code requires an intradural, intramedullary lesion at the thoracolumbar level.
63287 billing questions
How does this differ from code 63286?
Both address intradural, intramedullary lesions, but 63286 is for the thoracic region. Use 63287 when the operative level is thoracolumbar.
Can this code be used for a lesion outside the spinal cord?
No. The lesion must be within the cord substance. An extradural lesion or an intradural lesion outside the cord is coded according to its different compartment.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the thoracolumbar level, the lesion’s intradural and intramedullary location, and whether the surgeon biopsied or excised it. The operative report should make the anatomic compartment clear.
How does the 90-day global period affect related postoperative care?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period. Medicare also applies its standard multiple-procedure reduction when other procedures are performed in the same session.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
Should modifier 50 be used for a lesion on one side of the cord?
No. The code’s anatomy and descriptor make bilateral adjustment inappropriate; modifier 50 is not the way to represent a unilateral cord lesion.
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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