Billing code 63688: Spinal stimulatorMedicare rate & RVUs in Nevada
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.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63688 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 63688 covers
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.
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 in Nevada**
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada** | Unavailable | $299.83 |
How the 63688 rate is calculated
Each of 63688’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 · 63688
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.24
4.24 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.85
3.85 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.06
1.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
9.1500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$305.62
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63688
63688 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63688
Spinal stimulator
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 63688
Spinal stimulator
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
63688 without 51 · national facility
$305.62
Spinal stimulator
63688-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$152.81
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%).
63688 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63685Neurostimulator generator
- Choose 63685 when the procedure places or replaces the generator or receiver. Choose 63688 when the existing generator or receiver is revised or removed.
- 63661Lead removal
- 63661 concerns removal of a percutaneous spinal electrode array. This code concerns the generator or receiver, not the lead.
- 63662Paddle lead removal
- 63662 concerns removal of a paddle-style spinal electrode. Use 63688 for revision or removal of the generator or receiver.
- 63663Lead revision
- 63663 is for revision of a percutaneous electrode array. It does not describe revision or removal of the generator or receiver.
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 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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