Billing code 63090: Vertebral corpectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Reports single-segment lumbar vertebral body resection through a transperitoneal or retroperitoneal route to decompress spinal neural structures.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63090 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 63090 covers
This code describes removal of part or all of one lumbar vertebral body through an abdominal route, entering through the peritoneum or working behind it. The resection also relieves pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots. A spine surgeon typically performs the procedure in a hospital operating room; an access surgeon may assist with the abdominal exposure. The operative report should establish the lumbar level, extent of vertebral body removal, approach, and neural decompression performed.
Report this code for one lumbar segment when the documented approach matches the transperitoneal or retroperitoneal route. A separate add-on code is available for each additional segment. CMS 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 other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this single-segment service. CMS permits assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeon or team-surgery billing.
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.
63090 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $1,770.92 |
How the 63090 rate is calculated
Each of 63090’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 · 63090
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 30.16Practice expense 15.66Malpractice 8.73
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63090
63090 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63090
Vertebral corpectomy
| 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) | 2 | 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 · 63090
Vertebral corpectomy
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
63090 without 51 · national facility
$1,822.02
Vertebral corpectomy
63090-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$911.01
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%).
63090 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
63090 vs 63087 vs 63091 vs 63085: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 63087Vertebral body removal
- Both address lumbar vertebral body resection with neural decompression. Choose based on the documented approach: 63090 is transperitoneal or retroperitoneal, while 63087 uses a combined thoracolumbar approach.
- 63091Vertebral body removal
- 63090 represents the primary single lumbar segment; 63091 is the add-on for each additional segment treated through the corresponding approach.
- 63085Thoracic corpectomy
- 63085 is the thoracic-level counterpart. Select 63090 when the treated vertebral body is lumbar and the approach is transperitoneal or retroperitoneal.
63090 billing questions
How is this code different from 63087?
Both describe lumbar vertebral body resection with neural decompression, but 63090 is for a transperitoneal or retroperitoneal approach. Use 63087 when the documented approach is the combined thoracolumbar route.
When is 63091 reported?
63091 is the add-on for each additional lumbar segment treated by the approach represented by 63090. It is not a substitute for the primary single-segment code.
What should the operative report document?
Document the lumbar level, the vertebral body resection, the transperitoneal or retroperitoneal approach, and decompression of the spinal cord or nerve roots.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. The service is defined for a single lumbar segment, and modifier 50 is not appropriate.
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?
CMS may pay for an assistant at surgery and permits co-surgeon and team-surgery billing for this procedure.
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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