CPT code 61708: Cerebral revascularization2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports an intracranial operation that reconstructs or redirects blood flow to the brain, typically for selected patients with inadequate cerebral circulation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61708 in Massachusetts.
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 61708 covers
This code represents a major intracranial vascular operation to restore or redirect blood flow to brain tissue. A neurosurgeon typically performs it in an operating room when a patient has a cerebral circulation problem requiring surgical revascularization; the operative report should identify the vessels treated and the reconstruction performed. The service is distinct from simply clipping an aneurysm or placing a clamp on a neck artery.
Report the code when the documented operative work meets this specific intracranial circulation-revision service, rather than selecting it from the diagnosis alone. The record should support the indication, operative approach, and vascular reconstruction. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Bilateral adjustment is inappropriate for this service. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
Where 61708 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston | Unavailable | $2,584.74 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Unavailable | $2,404.34 |
How the 61708 rate is calculated
Each of 61708’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 · 61708
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work36.27
36.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense21.77
21.77 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice15.32
15.32 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
73.3600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$2,450.29
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61708
61708 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61708
Cerebral revascularization
| 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) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 61708
Cerebral revascularization
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
61708 without 51 · national facility
$2,450.29
Cerebral revascularization
61708-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,225.15
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%).
61708 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 61711Cerebral artery bypass
- 61711 identifies an extracranial-to-intracranial arterial bypass. Choose 61708 only when the documented intracranial circulation-revision service fits that code.
- 61703Arterial clamping
- 61703 is the neck-artery clamping service. It does not describe intracranial reconstruction to redirect cerebral blood flow.
- 61700Aneurysm repair
- 61700 is used for a simple intracranial aneurysm repair. An operation to revise cerebral circulation is not coded as aneurysm repair solely because an aneurysm is involved.
61708 billing questions
How is this distinguished from 61711?
Use 61708 for the intracranial circulation-revision service documented in the operative report. Code 61711 describes a different, specifically named extracranial-to-intracranial arterial bypass service.
Can an aneurysm procedure be reported with 61708?
The operative work determines whether a separate aneurysm service is reportable. Do not report a second code for work already included in the intracranial vascular reconstruction.
Does the 90-day global include postoperative visits?
Yes. Related postoperative care during the 90-day period is included, along with the day-before preoperative visit.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this service, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted under the CMS rules for this code.
What happens if another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the same session are subject to the standard 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 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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