No office rate
This code describes stereotactic catheter placement for drainage of an intracranial collection. Code 61154 describes burr-hole drainage of an extradural or subdural hematoma.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
61770 Intracranial drainage Medicare reimbursement rates in Massachusetts
Reports stereotactic placement of an intracranial drainage catheter through burr hole access to treat a selected abscess, cyst, or hematoma. Compare 61770 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Massachusetts.
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 61770 in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts 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
$1559.27–$1679.82
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 61770: Stereotactic intracranial catheter drainage
Reports stereotactic placement of an intracranial drainage catheter through burr hole access to treat a selected abscess, cyst, or hematoma.
This service uses stereotactic localization and burr hole access to place a catheter for drainage of an intracranial abscess, cyst, or hematoma. Neurosurgeons typically perform it in a hospital operating room when targeted catheter placement is needed to reach the collection. The procedure is distinct from stereotactic biopsy, which obtains tissue or fluid for diagnosis, and from electrode placement for seizure monitoring.
Report the code when the operative record supports stereotactic localization, burr hole access, and placement of a drainage catheter for the treated intracranial collection. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 61770
- 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
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU22.61 · 48%
- Practice expense (office) RVU15.29 · 32%
- Malpractice RVU9.55 · 20%
17
Medicare services in 2024 · #6018 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.
61770 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Massachusetts, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Choose 61750 when stereotactic access is used to obtain a biopsy specimen. Choose 61770 when the procedure places a catheter for drainage.
No office rate
Code 61751 is for stereotactic intracranial biopsy with CT or MR guidance; this code addresses stereotactic catheter placement for drainage.
Compare 61770 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
Metropolitan Boston →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1679.82
Rest Of Massachusetts →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1559.27
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61770 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of a stereotactic biopsy code?
Use this code when the stereotactic procedure places a catheter to drain an intracranial collection. Stereotactic biopsy codes apply when the goal is obtaining a specimen for diagnosis.
Is stereotactic localization separately reported?
The localization is part of this service. The operative documentation should support its use to guide burr hole access and catheter placement.
Does modifier 50 apply when the collection is bilateral?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons are payable only with supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the 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.
6,88061750,,Incise skull/brain biopsy,A,,19.33,14.03,NA,14.03,,8.12,41.48,41.48,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,88161751,,Brain biopsy w/ct/mr guide,A,,18.32,15.49,NA,15.49,,7.70,41.51,41.51,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,88261760,,Implant brain electrodes,A,,21.83,15.49,NA,15.49,,9.21,46.53,46.53,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,88361770,,Incise skull for treatment,A,,22.61,15.29,NA,15.29,,9.55,47.45,47.45,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,88461781,,Scan proc cranial intra,A,,3.66,1.27,NA,1.27,,1.51,6.44,6.44,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,88561782,,Scan proc cranial extra,A,,3.10,0.76,NA,0.76,,0.46,4.32,4.32,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,88661783,,Scan proc spinal,A,,3.66,1.24,NA,1.24,,1.31,6.21,6.21,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00