Billing code 61210: Ventricular accessMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Reports burr-hole access for implanting a ventricular catheter, reservoir, or electrode, typically for neurosurgical access, drainage, or monitoring.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61210 in Guam.
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 61210 covers
A neurosurgeon creates a burr hole to place an implanted device into a cerebral ventricle, such as a ventricular catheter, reservoir, or electrode. The service is generally performed in an operating room or other facility setting for patients who need implanted ventricular access for treatment or monitoring. The operative report should identify the device implanted, its ventricular location, and the purpose of the access.
Select 61210 for implanted ventricular access, not for a burr hole used to explore or evacuate a hematoma. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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.
61210 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $311.32 |
How the 61210 rate is calculated
Each of 61210’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 · 61210
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 5.68Practice expense 1.99Malpractice 2.38
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61210
The CMS indicators that decide how 61210 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 61210
Ventricular access
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
61210 without 51 · national facility
$335.68
Ventricular access
61210-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$167.84
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%).
61210 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
61210 vs 61107 vs 61215 vs 61250 vs 61253: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 61107Ventricular catheter
- Use 61210 for implanted ventricular access through a burr hole. 61107 describes twist-drill puncture for drainage or pressure monitoring.
- 61215Drug delivery implant
- 61210 covers the burr-hole ventricular implantation work; 61215 identifies placement of a subcutaneous reservoir, pump, or infusion system connected to a ventricular catheter.
- 61250Brain exploration
- 61250 is for burr-hole or trephine exploration or evacuation of an extradural or subdural hematoma, not implantation of ventricular access.
- 61253Burr-hole procedure
- 61253 concerns burr-hole or trephine exploration or evacuation of an intracerebral hematoma; 61210 is selected for implanted ventricular access.
61210 billing questions
How is 61210 different from 61107?
61210 is for burr-hole implantation of a ventricular catheter, reservoir, or electrode. 61107 describes twist-drill access for ventricular or subdural drainage or pressure monitoring.
When is 61215 relevant?
61215 describes insertion of a subcutaneous reservoir, pump, or continuous-infusion system connected to a ventricular catheter. Report the work actually performed and document the implanted components.
Can 61210 be reported for hematoma evacuation?
No. 61210 identifies implanted ventricular access; 61250 and 61253 concern burr-hole or trephine procedures for hematoma exploration or evacuation.
Does 61210 have a postoperative global period?
It has a 0-day global period. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral placement?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
How are other same-session procedures paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the same session are subject to the standard 50% 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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