Billing code 62161: Brain neuroendoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Nebraska
Reports intracranial endoscopic dissection of adhesions or fenestration or resection of a cyst wall during neurosurgical treatment of a brain cyst.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 62161 in Nebraska.
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 62161 covers
A neurosurgeon uses an endoscope within the cranial cavity to separate intracranial adhesions or open a cyst by fenestrating or removing part of its wall. A typical use is endoscopic treatment of an intracranial cyst, such as an arachnoid cyst, to establish communication with a neighboring cerebrospinal fluid space. The procedure is generally performed in an operating room, often through a burr hole or another planned cranial access route.
Report 62161 when the operative work is endoscopic dissection of adhesions or cyst fenestration or wall resection; the operative report should identify the target and describe the endoscopic maneuver. Distinguish this work from excision of a colloid cyst or brain tumor, which has separate codes. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation. Team surgery is 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.
62161 in Nebraska
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | Unavailable | $1,282.96 |
How the 62161 rate is calculated
Each of 62161’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 · 62161
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work20.70
20.70 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense15.65
15.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice8.64
8.64 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
44.9900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,502.71
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 62161
62161 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 62161
Brain neuroendoscopy
| 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) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 62161
Brain neuroendoscopy
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
62161 without 51 · national facility
$1,502.71
Brain neuroendoscopy
62161-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$751.36
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%).
62161 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 62162Neuroendoscopy
- Choose 62161 for endoscopic dissection of adhesions or cyst fenestration or wall resection. Choose 62162 when the endoscopic procedure excises a colloid cyst.
- 62164Brain tumor excision
- 62164 describes endoscopic removal of a brain tumor; 62161 describes endoscopic work on adhesions or a cyst.
- 62165Pituitary tumor removal
- 62165 is for endoscopic pituitary tumor removal. A cyst or adhesion procedure elsewhere in the intracranial space is not coded as pituitary tumor removal.
62161 billing questions
When should 62161 be chosen over 62162?
Use 62161 for endoscopic dissection of adhesions or fenestration or resection of a cyst wall. Use 62162 for endoscopic excision of a colloid cyst.
Does 62161 describe tumor removal?
No. Endoscopic removal of a brain tumor is represented by a different code, such as 62164; pituitary tumor removal has its own code, 62165.
What documentation supports 62161?
The operative report should identify the intracranial cyst or adhesions and document the endoscopic dissection, fenestration, or cyst-wall resection performed.
How does the 90-day global period affect billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the surgical global period.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction when performed in the same session.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
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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