Billing code 63740: Spinal shuntMedicare rate & RVUs in Nebraska
Reports surgical placement of an internal shunt from the spinal subarachnoid space to another body cavity to divert cerebrospinal fluid.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63740 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 63740 covers
A neurosurgeon places a catheter to divert cerebrospinal fluid from the spinal subarachnoid space to a destination such as the peritoneal or pleural cavity. The operation includes the surgical exposure needed for placement, including laminectomy when performed as part of the shunt procedure. This is generally an operating-room service performed in a hospital or other surgical facility, rather than a percutaneous external-drainage procedure.
Report 63740 for initial internal spinal shunt placement, not for a later revision or removal. The operative note should identify the spinal access site, shunt route and destination, indication for diversion, and work performed to implant the system. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this anatomy. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and 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.
63740 in Nebraska
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | Unavailable | $868.89 |
How the 63740 rate is calculated
Each of 63740’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 · 63740
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work12.31
12.31 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense12.73
12.73 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice5.17
5.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
30.2100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,009.04
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63740
63740 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63740
Spinal shunt
| 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 · 63740
Spinal shunt
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
63740 without 51 · national facility
$1,009.04
Spinal shunt
63740-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$504.52
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%).
63740 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63741Spinal shunt
- Use 63740 for surgical implantation of an internal shunt. 63741 describes percutaneous placement for external spinal drainage.
- 63744Spinal shunt revision
- 63740 is for initial spinal shunt placement; 63744 is for revision of an existing spinal shunt.
- 63746Shunt removal
- 63740 establishes the shunt, while 63746 is used to remove an existing spinal shunt.
- 62223CSF shunt creation
- 62223 creates a shunt from the cerebral ventricles; 63740 diverts cerebrospinal fluid from the spinal subarachnoid space.
63740 billing questions
How does 63740 differ from 63741?
63740 describes surgical implantation of an internal spinal shunt. 63741 is for percutaneous placement of a spinal subarachnoid external-drainage shunt.
Is the laminectomy separately reported?
The surgical exposure, including laminectomy performed as part of placing the shunt, is included in 63740.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. The shunt procedure and anatomy do not support bilateral reporting with modifier 50.
What documentation supports initial placement?
Document the indication, spinal access site, shunt route and destination, and operative work establishing the internal diversion. Use a revision or removal code when that is the service performed instead.
What payment rules affect the surgical session?
The code has a 90-day global period. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%; assistant-at-surgery payment may be made, while co-surgery requires supporting documentation.
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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