No office rate
61595 identifies a transtemporal approach. Choose 61597 when the operative report documents transcondylar access around the foramen magnum and lower clivus.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
61597 Skull-base approach Medicare reimbursement rates in New Jersey
Reports a transcondylar route to the posterior cranial fossa, used to reach lesions around the foramen magnum and lower clivus. Compare 61597 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in New Jersey.
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 61597 in New Jersey?
New Jersey has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$3172.19–$3259.57
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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 61597: Transcondylar posterior skull-base approach
Reports a transcondylar route to the posterior cranial fossa, used to reach lesions around the foramen magnum and lower clivus.
This code represents surgical access to the posterior cranial fossa through a transcondylar route, which provides exposure around the foramen magnum and lower clivus. A neurosurgeon, often working with an otolaryngologist or another skull-base specialist, performs the approach in an operating room. The operative report should identify the route and the exposure performed; the target may be a lesion near the ventral foramen magnum or clivus.
Report the code when the documented operation uses this transcondylar access, rather than a transtemporal, transcochlear, or transpetrosal route. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. A bilateral service reported with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is permitted.
CMS billing rules for 61597
- 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 procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU39.80 · 45%
- Practice expense (office) RVU32.18 · 36%
- Malpractice RVU16.81 · 19%
102
Medicare services in 2024 · #4869 by national volume
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.
61597 compared with similar codes
Office rates for New Jersey, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
61596 identifies a transcochlear approach; 61597 is for a transcondylar route. The documented surgical pathway distinguishes these codes.
No office rate
61598 identifies a transpetrosal approach. Report 61597 when the access is transcondylar rather than through the petrous region.
Compare 61597 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Northern Nj →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$3259.57
Rest Of New Jersey →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$3172.19
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61597 billing questions
How is this approach distinguished from a transpetrosal approach?
Use this code when the documented access is transcondylar, around the foramen magnum and lower clivus. A transpetrosal route is a different approach to the posterior cranial fossa.
Does this code describe removal of the lesion?
It identifies the transcondylar surgical access. The operative report should distinguish that access from the definitive treatment of the target; report other services only when separately supported.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the transcondylar route and the exposure performed, including the relevant posterior fossa, foramen magnum, or clival anatomy. The note should make the approach distinguishable from other skull-base routes.
How are multiple procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the session are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is permitted.
What does the 90-day global period include?
It includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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.
6,83061592,,Orbitocranial approach/skull,A,,42.00,32.70,NA,32.70,,16.12,90.82,90.82,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,83161595,,Transtemporal approach/skull,A,,32.90,24.06,NA,24.06,,8.49,65.45,65.45,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,1,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,83261596,,Transcochlear approach/skull,A,,38.44,18.52,NA,18.52,,5.60,62.56,62.56,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,83361597,,Transcondylar approach/skull,A,,39.80,32.18,NA,32.18,,16.81,88.79,88.79,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,83461598,,Transpetrosal approach/skull,A,,35.62,34.60,NA,34.60,,15.04,85.26,85.26,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,83561600,,Resect/excise cranial lesion,A,,29.26,21.58,NA,21.58,,6.49,57.33,57.33,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,83661601,,Resect/excise cranial lesion,A,,30.36,29.56,NA,29.56,,11.95,71.87,71.87,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,2,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00