No office rate
This code covers multiple sutures; 61556 is the corresponding craniectomy service when the operation addresses one cranial suture.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
61557 Craniosynostosis surgery Medicare reimbursement rates in Nevada
Craniectomy for craniosynostosis involving multiple fused cranial sutures, reported when operative treatment releases more than one affected suture. Compare 61557 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Nevada.
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 61557 in Nevada?
Nevada has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1620.10
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Nevada**
One mapped payment locality.
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 61557: Multiple-suture craniosynostosis craniectomy
Craniectomy for craniosynostosis involving multiple fused cranial sutures, reported when operative treatment releases more than one affected suture.
This operation treats craniosynostosis in which multiple cranial sutures have fused prematurely. A neurosurgeon, often working in a pediatric craniofacial setting, removes bone along the affected sutures to release restricted skull growth. The operative plan and extent depend on the sutures involved and the child’s skull deformity; this code identifies the multiple-suture craniectomy service rather than surgery limited to one suture.
Report the code when the operative record supports treatment of multiple synostotic sutures by craniectomy. Document the affected sutures, the extent of bone removal, and the procedure performed so the multiple-suture service is clear. The code has 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 multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 61557
- 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
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU22.73 · 45%
- Practice expense (office) RVU17.76 · 35%
- Malpractice RVU9.60 · 19%
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.
61557 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Nevada, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
61550 describes reconstruction for a single cranial suture. Select 61557 for a documented multiple-suture craniectomy, not based only on the diagnosis.
No office rate
61552 describes reconstruction involving multiple cranial sutures. Distinguish it from 61557 by the operative approach documented in the record.
Compare 61557 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Nevada** →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1620.10
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 61557 in Nevada**.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,810
- Code
- 61557
- Physician work
- 22.73
- Practice expense
- 17.76
- Malpractice
- 9.60
GPCI2026.csv
73
- Locality
- Nevada**
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 1.001
- Malpractice
- 0.833
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 22.73 | × 1.000 | 22.7300 |
| Practice expense | 17.76 | × 1.001 | 17.7778 |
| Malpractice | 9.60 | × 0.833 | 7.9968 |
| Total RVUs | 48.5046 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Nevada**$1620.10
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 22.73 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 17.76 | 1.001 |
| Malpractice | 9.6 | 0.833 |
(22.73 × 1 + 17.76 × 1.001 + 9.6 × 0.833) × $33.4009 = $1620.10
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
61557 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 61556?
61557 is for craniectomy involving multiple cranial sutures. Use 61556 when the documented operation is limited to a single cranial suture.
How does this differ from 61550 or 61552?
Those codes describe reconstruction of cranial sutures for craniosynostosis. Choose the code that matches the documented operative approach rather than treating reconstruction and craniectomy as interchangeable.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; 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 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.
6,80761550,,Release of skull seams,A,,15.20,14.87,NA,14.87,,6.41,36.48,36.48,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,80861552,,Release of skull seams,A,,19.89,16.01,NA,16.01,,8.38,44.28,44.28,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,80961556,,Incise skull/sutures,A,,23.49,16.82,NA,16.82,,9.92,50.23,50.23,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,81061557,,Incise skull/sutures,A,,22.73,17.76,NA,17.76,,9.60,50.09,50.09,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,81161558,,Excision of skull/sutures,A,,25.84,18.61,NA,18.61,,10.92,55.37,55.37,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,81261559,,Excision of skull/sutures,A,,33.17,23.00,NA,23.00,,14.00,70.17,70.17,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,81361563,,Excision of skull tumor,A,,27.73,18.31,NA,18.31,,11.72,57.76,57.76,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7005302,MO,99,REST OF MISSOURI,1.000,0.862,0.974
7103202,MT,01,MONTANA**,1.000,1.000,0.998
7205402,NE,00,NEBRASKA,1.000,0.923,0.378
7301312,NV,00,NEVADA**,1.000,1.001,0.833
7414312,NH,40,NEW HAMPSHIRE,1.000,1.041,0.875
7512402,NJ,01,NORTHERN NJ,1.063,1.160,1.068
7612402,NJ,99,REST OF NEW JERSEY,1.040,1.092,1.097