No office rate
The corresponding single-interspace nerve-root decompression applies to the lumbar spine; 63020 is for the cervical spine.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
63020 Cervical laminotomy Medicare reimbursement rates in Maine
Reports posterior decompression of cervical nerve roots at one interspace, with limited bone removal and possible removal of a herniated disc. Compare 63020 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 63020 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
$970.49–$1001.71
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.
Spine surgery
About 63020: Cervical nerve root decompression, single interspace
Reports posterior decompression of cervical nerve roots at one interspace, with limited bone removal and possible removal of a herniated disc.
A spine surgeon uses a posterior approach to relieve pressure on cervical nerve root tissue at one interspace. The operation may involve removing part of the lamina or facet and widening the nerve exit opening; a herniated disc may also be removed when needed. Typical indications include cervical radiculopathy associated with a disc herniation or narrowing around the nerve root. These procedures are commonly performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgery facility.
Report this code for one cervical interspace, documenting the level, side, nerve-root compression, and decompression performed. For another cervical interspace treated during the same session, report the additional-level code 63035 rather than repeating this code. The service has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery and co-surgeon services may be paid; team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 63020
- 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 procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- 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 RVU14.54 · 46%
- Practice expense (office) RVU12.56 · 39%
- Malpractice RVU4.76 · 15%
895
Medicare services in 2024 · #3049 by national volume
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.
63020 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Maine, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
63035 reports each additional cervical interspace in the same session; 63020 reports the primary single interspace.
No office rate
63040 is used for cervical re-exploration. 63020 describes the applicable single-interspace operation without that re-exploration circumstance.
No office rate
63045 describes segmental cervical decompression for stenosis using laminectomy, facetectomy, and foraminotomy; 63020 is the single-interspace laminotomy-based nerve-root procedure.
Compare 63020 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
$970.49
Southern Maine →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1001.71
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63020 billing questions
When should 63020 be used instead of 63030?
Use 63020 for a single cervical interspace and 63030 for a single lumbar interspace when the comparable nerve-root decompression is performed.
How is a second cervical interspace reported?
Report 63035 for each additional cervical interspace treated in the same session with the primary procedure. Document each level treated.
What documentation supports 63020?
The operative report should identify the cervical interspace and side, the nerve-root compression, and the work performed to decompress it, including any disc removal.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. The operative documentation should support work on both sides.
How does 63020 differ from 63040?
63040 is for cervical nerve-root decompression performed as a re-exploration. Use 63020 for the applicable single-interspace procedure when it is not a re-exploration.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days.
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.
6,99363015,,Remove spine lamina >2 crvcl,A,,20.33,15.08,NA,15.08,,7.84,43.25,43.25,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,99463016,,Remove spine lamina >2 thrc,A,,21.48,14.39,NA,14.39,,7.94,43.81,43.81,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,99563017,,Remove spine lamina >2 lmbr,A,,16.90,13.89,NA,13.89,,6.49,37.28,37.28,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,99663020,,Lamot dcmprn nrv rt 1 cerv,A,,14.54,12.56,NA,12.56,,4.76,31.86,31.86,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,99763030,,Lamot dcmprn nrv rt 1 lmbr,A,,11.70,11.35,NA,11.35,,3.84,26.89,26.89,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,99863032,,Lamot rpr anulr dfct 1 lmbr,A,,2.50,0.79,NA,0.79,,0.79,4.08,4.08,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,99963035,,Lamot dcmprn nrv rt ea addl,A,,3.76,1.25,NA,1.25,,1.17,6.18,6.18,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,1,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00