Billing code 63032: Annular repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Report this add-on for repair of a lumbar disc annular defect during an eligible discectomy, including annular closure when performed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63032 in Illinois.
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 63032 covers
This add-on represents repair of an annular defect at one lumbar interspace during surgery for a herniated disc. A spine surgeon typically performs the repair as part of a lumbar discectomy, after addressing the disc pathology. Annular closure may be performed as part of the repair. The operative record should identify the lumbar level and describe the defect repair and any closure performed.
Report 63032 only with an eligible primary lumbar discectomy at the same interspace, such as 63030 or 63042. The primary code describes the discectomy and associated nerve-root decompression; 63032 captures the annular repair. CMS classifies 63032 as an add-on code, so it is not reported by itself, and its payment falls within the primary procedure's global period. Documentation should distinguish repair of the annular defect from routine disc removal or closure of the surgical approach.
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 63032 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | Unavailable | $171.16 |
| East St. Louis | Unavailable | $160.92 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Unavailable | $148.84 |
| Suburban Chicago | Unavailable | $157.94 |
How the 63032 rate is calculated
Each of 63032’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 · 63032
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.50
2.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.79
0.79 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.79
0.79 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.0800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$136.28
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63032
The CMS indicators that decide how 63032 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 63032
Annular repair
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 80 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
63032 without 80 · national facility
$136.28
Annular repair
63032-80 · Assistant: 16%
$21.80
A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.
63032 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63030Lumbar decompression
- 63030 reports the primary lumbar laminotomy and nerve-root decompression, including disc excision when performed. 63032 adds repair of the annular defect at that interspace.
- 63042Lumbar decompression
- 63042 describes lumbar reexploration with nerve-root decompression and disc excision when performed. Use 63032 only for the separate annular defect repair accompanying an eligible primary discectomy.
- 63035Nerve-root decompression
- 63035 reports decompression at each additional lumbar interspace. It does not describe repair of an annular defect.
63032 billing questions
When is 63032 reported with a lumbar discectomy?
Use it when the surgeon repairs an annular defect at the same lumbar interspace as an eligible primary discectomy, such as 63030 or 63042. The operative note should describe the repair, not just disc removal.
Can 63032 be reported by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be billed with an eligible primary lumbar discectomy.
How does 63032 differ from 63030?
63030 reports the primary lumbar laminotomy and nerve-root decompression, including disc excision when performed. 63032 reports repair of the annular defect in the same interspace.
What documentation supports 63032?
Document the lumbar interspace, the annular defect, and the repair performed, including annular closure when performed. The record should also support the eligible primary discectomy.
Is 63032 paid outside the primary procedure's global period?
No. CMS identifies it as an add-on code paid within the global period of its primary 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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