No office rate
Choose 63685 when the procedure places or replaces the generator or receiver. Choose 63688 when the existing generator or receiver is revised or removed.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
63688 Spinal stimulator Medicare reimbursement rates in Massachusetts
Revision or removal of an implanted spinal cord stimulation generator or receiver is reported when surgery addresses the pulse generator rather than the electrode leads. Compare 63688 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 63688 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
$307.51–$332.48
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.
Neurostimulator surgery
About 63688: Spinal neurostimulator generator revision or removal
Revision or removal of an implanted spinal cord stimulation generator or receiver is reported when surgery addresses the pulse generator rather than the electrode leads.
This service involves surgically revising or removing the implanted pulse generator or receiver that powers a spinal cord stimulation system. It is commonly performed by a neurosurgeon or pain physician for a generator that has shifted, malfunctioned, or reached the end of its service life, or when the generator pocket requires surgical attention. The work concerns the generator or receiver, not the implanted spinal electrodes.
Report this code when the operative work revises or removes the generator or receiver; documentation should identify the device component and the specific work performed. Use the lead-removal or lead-revision codes when the electrode array or paddle is the target. Medicare assigns a 10-day global period, including related postoperative visits during that 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 multiple procedure reduction. Bilateral adjustment is not appropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 63688
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 10-day global period: related postoperative visits for 10 days 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 not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU4.24 · 46%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.85 · 42%
- Malpractice RVU1.06 · 12%
16.5K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1218 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.
63688 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Massachusetts, from the same CMS release.
$768.41–$852.50
63661 concerns removal of a percutaneous spinal electrode array. This code concerns the generator or receiver, not the lead.
No office rate
63662 concerns removal of a paddle-style spinal electrode. Use 63688 for revision or removal of the generator or receiver.
$985.21–$1,088.59
63663 is for revision of a percutaneous electrode array. It does not describe revision or removal of the generator or receiver.
Compare 63688 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
$332.48
Rest Of Massachusetts →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$307.51
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63688 billing questions
How does this differ from 63685?
Report 63688 for revision or removal of an existing generator or receiver. Code 63685 describes placing or replacing the generator or receiver.
Can generator and electrode work be reported together?
They describe different implanted components. If the surgeon also removes or revises the electrode array or paddle, document that work separately and consider the applicable lead code.
Should modifier 50 be used for work on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Is an assistant surgeon payable?
No. CMS lists a statutory restriction on assistant-at-surgery payment for this service.
What documentation supports reporting 63688?
The operative report should identify the implanted generator or receiver and describe its revision or removal, distinguishing that work from any electrode 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 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.
7,08163663,,Revise spine eltrd perq aray,A,,7.56,19.90,,3.62,,1.08,28.54,12.26,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,08263664,,Revise spine eltrd plate,A,,11.23,11.20,NA,11.20,,4.11,26.54,26.54,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,08363685,,Ins/rplc spi npg/rcvr pocket,A,,5.06,3.43,NA,3.43,,1.05,9.54,9.54,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,08463688,,Rev/rmv imp sp npg/r dtch cn,A,,4.24,3.85,NA,3.85,,1.06,9.15,9.15,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,08563700,,Repair of spinal herniation,A,,17.03,15.40,NA,15.40,,7.19,39.62,39.62,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,08663702,,Repair of spinal herniation,A,,18.92,16.06,NA,16.06,,7.98,42.96,42.96,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,08763704,,Repair of spinal herniation,A,,21.87,18.91,NA,18.91,,9.23,50.01,50.01,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00