No office rate
Choose 61531 for cortical neurostimulator electrodes; 61533 describes electrode implantation for long-term seizure monitoring.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
61531 Brain electrode implant Medicare reimbursement rates in Maine
Reports craniectomy-based placement of cerebral cortical neurostimulator electrodes when a surgeon implants an electrode array for cortical stimulation. Compare 61531 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Maine.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 61531 in Maine?
Maine has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1113.56–$1149.47
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Neurosurgery
About 61531: Cortical neurostimulator electrode implantation
Reports craniectomy-based placement of cerebral cortical neurostimulator electrodes when a surgeon implants an electrode array for cortical stimulation.
A neurosurgeon uses a craniectomy or bone-flap approach to place neurostimulator electrodes on the cerebral cortex. The service involves operative access and electrode placement for cortical stimulation, rather than temporary electrodes placed to monitor seizures. It is performed in an operating room, generally as part of a planned neurosurgical treatment involving cortical stimulation.
Select this code when the operative report supports implantation of cortical neurostimulator electrodes; document the cortical target, approach, and placement. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the 90-day global period. 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 for this service. CMS may pay for an assistant at surgery and permits co-surgeons; team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 61531
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU16.00 · 43%
- Practice expense (office) RVU14.29 · 39%
- Malpractice RVU6.74 · 18%
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.
61531 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Maine, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
61531 concerns cortical electrode placement. 61863 describes stereotactic implantation of a neurostimulator electrode array at a subcortical site.
No office rate
61531 reports electrode implantation. 61535 describes removal of cerebral electrodes, a separate removal procedure.
Compare 61531 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
2 of 2 payment localities
Rest Of Maine →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1113.56
Southern Maine →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1149.47
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61531 billing questions
How is this different from 61533?
61531 is for implantation of cortical neurostimulator electrodes. Use 61533 for electrodes placed for long-term seizure monitoring.
Can electrode placement for seizure monitoring be reported with 61531?
No. Seizure-monitoring electrodes are the distinct service represented by 61533; 61531 describes cortical neurostimulator electrode implantation.
Is modifier 50 appropriate?
No. The descriptor and anatomy do not support reporting this service as a bilateral procedure.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS permits payment for an assistant at surgery and permits co-surgeons. Team surgery is not permitted for this code.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures performed in that 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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
6,78961524,,Removal of brain lesion,A,,29.14,19.26,NA,19.26,,12.32,60.72,60.72,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,79061526,,Removal of brain lesion,A,,52.73,22.42,NA,22.42,,15.53,90.68,90.68,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,79161530,,Removal of brain lesion,A,,44.42,24.63,NA,24.63,,18.76,87.81,87.81,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,79261531,,Implant brain electrodes,A,,16.00,14.29,NA,14.29,,6.74,37.03,37.03,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,79361533,,Implant brain electrodes,A,,20.92,15.31,NA,15.31,,8.83,45.06,45.06,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,79461534,,Removal of brain lesion,A,,22.43,16.90,NA,16.90,,9.47,48.80,48.80,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,79561535,,Remove brain electrodes,A,,12.82,12.47,NA,12.47,,5.40,30.69,30.69,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00