Billing code 63283: Spinal tumor surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Reports laminectomy-based biopsy or removal of a neoplasm located inside the dura but outside the spinal cord at the sacral level.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63283 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 63283 covers
A spine surgeon, commonly a neurosurgeon or orthopedic spine surgeon, uses a laminectomy to reach a sacral canal lesion, opens the dura, and biopsies or removes a tumor lying outside the spinal cord. A nerve-sheath tumor is a typical example of an intradural extramedullary lesion. The code is specific to the sacral level and does not describe a lesion outside the dura or one arising within the cord.
Report the service when the operative findings establish a sacral neoplasm in the intradural, extramedullary compartment and the surgeon performs biopsy or excision. The operative note should identify the level, lesion location relative to the dura and cord, and whether tissue was sampled or the lesion removed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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.
63283 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $1,804.21 |
How the 63283 rate is calculated
Each of 63283’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 · 63283
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 26.09Practice expense 18.95Malpractice 11.02
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63283
63283 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63283
Spinal tumor 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 · 63283
Spinal tumor 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
63283 without 51 · national facility
$1,872.45
Spinal tumor surgery
63283-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$936.23
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%).
63283 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
63283 vs 63278 vs 63273 vs 63287 vs 63282: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 63278Spinal lesion surgery
- Choose 63278 when the sacral neoplasm is extradural. This code requires an intradural lesion outside the spinal cord.
- 63273Spinal lesion surgery
- Choose 63273 for a sacral intradural extramedullary lesion other than a neoplasm; this code is for biopsy or excision of a neoplasm.
- 63287Spinal lesion surgery
- Code 63287 concerns an intramedullary neoplasm in the thoracolumbar region. This code is for an extramedullary lesion at the sacral level.
- 63282Spinal lesion surgery
- Both address intradural extramedullary neoplasms, but 63282 is for the lumbar level and this code is for the sacral level.
63283 billing questions
How is this code different from 63278?
This code is for a sacral neoplasm inside the dura but outside the spinal cord. Code 63278 describes a sacral neoplasm outside the dura.
When would 63273 be considered instead?
Code 63273 is for excision of a sacral intradural, extramedullary lesion other than a neoplasm. Use this code when the lesion is a neoplasm and the surgeon performs biopsy or excision.
Does this code cover a tumor within the spinal cord?
No. It describes an intradural lesion outside the cord; a neoplasm arising within the cord belongs to the intramedullary code family.
Can modifier 50 be used for a bilateral sacral lesion?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this service, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the sacral level, the neoplasm's intradural extramedullary location, and whether the surgeon biopsied or excised it. The operative report should distinguish the lesion from one outside the dura or within the cord.
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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