Billing code 63271: Spinal lesion excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Nevada
Reports thoracic laminectomy to remove or evacuate a non-neoplastic lesion inside the dura but outside the spinal cord.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63271 in Nevada.
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 63271 covers
A neurosurgeon uses a thoracic laminectomy to reach an intraspinal lesion, opens the dura, and removes or evacuates the lesion located outside the spinal cord itself. The code is for a non-neoplastic lesion in the thoracic region, such as an intradural extramedullary cyst or other lesion requiring operative removal. It is generally performed in a hospital operating room rather than an office setting.
Choose this code when the operative report supports the thoracic level, the intradural but extramedullary location, and removal or evacuation of a lesion other than a neoplasm. Imaging and pathology may support the diagnosis, but the operative findings should establish the compartment and work performed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery. 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. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires 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.
63271 in Nevada**
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada** | Unavailable | $1,945.83 |
How the 63271 rate is calculated
Each of 63271’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 · 63271
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work29.17
29.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense19.03
19.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice12.05
12.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
60.2500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$2,012.40
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63271
63271 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63271
Spinal lesion excision
| 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 · 63271
Spinal lesion excision
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
63271 without 51 · national facility
$2,012.40
Spinal lesion excision
63271-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,006.20
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%).
63271 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63266Spinal lesion excision
- Use 63271 for a lesion inside the dura but outside the cord; 63266 is for an extradural thoracic lesion.
- 63281Spinal lesion surgery
- 63271 is for a non-neoplastic intradural extramedullary lesion. Code 63281 is the corresponding thoracic biopsy or excision code when the lesion is a neoplasm.
- 63286Spinal lesion surgery
- Both address thoracic intradural lesions, but 63286 is for a lesion within the spinal cord, rather than outside it.
63271 billing questions
How is 63271 different from 63266?
Both involve thoracic intraspinal lesions, but 63271 is for a lesion within the dura and outside the spinal cord. Code 63266 describes an extradural lesion.
When should a neoplasm code be considered instead?
Code 63271 is for a lesion other than a neoplasm. For a thoracic intradural extramedullary neoplasm, compare the applicable neoplasm-excision code, such as 63281.
What documentation supports reporting 63271?
The operative report should identify the thoracic level, confirm that the lesion was intradural and extramedullary, and describe its removal or evacuation and non-neoplastic nature.
Are related postoperative visits separately included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days after surgery.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. 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 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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