FeeBase
Log inGet started
Menu
On this page

CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01

61340 Cranial decompression Medicare reimbursement rates in North Dakota

Reports a neurosurgical decompression through a subtemporal approach, typically to relieve pressure from severe cerebral swelling. Compare 61340 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in North Dakota.

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 61340 in North Dakota?

North Dakota 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

$1263.61

1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.

Payment area: North Dakota**

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.

Find 61340 in your payment locality →

Cranial surgery

About 61340: Subtemporal cranial decompression

Reports a neurosurgical decompression through a subtemporal approach, typically to relieve pressure from severe cerebral swelling.

A neurosurgeon performs this operation through an opening in the temporal region of the skull to create space for a swollen brain and relieve intracranial pressure. It is associated with severe cerebral edema, including malignant brain swelling, and is generally performed in an operating room in a hospital or other facility setting. The operative report should identify the subtemporal approach, the clinical reason for decompression, and the side or sides treated.

Report the code for the subtemporal decompression itself, distinguishing it from decompression coded for another cranial location or approach. It has a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days are included. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

CMS billing rules for 61340

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 not permitted.

Where the value comes from

  • Work RVU19.61 · 46%
  • Practice expense (office) RVU14.86 · 35%
  • Malpractice RVU8.28 · 19%

16

Medicare services in 2024 · #6044 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.

61340 compared with similar codes

Office rates for North Dakota, from the same CMS release.

61322

Cranial decompression

Without lobectomy

No office rate

61340 is specific to a subtemporal approach. Code 61322 describes decompressive craniectomy without lobectomy; the operative technique and documented service determine the choice.

61323

Cranial decompression

With lobectomy

No office rate

Code 61323 includes decompression with lobectomy. Use 61340 for the documented subtemporal decompression when that lobectomy service is not part of the operation.

61345

Cranial decompression

Other posterior fossa

No office rate

Code 61345 concerns cranial decompression in the posterior fossa. Code 61340 is for a subtemporal approach, so the operative location separates them.

Compare 61340 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

Office and facility base rates · shared scale starting at $0

Need rates for a whole code list?

Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.

Explore fee-sheet early access →

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 61340 in North Dakota**.

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

6,770

Code
61340
Physician work
19.61
Practice expense
14.86
Malpractice
8.28

GPCI2026.csv

84

Locality
North Dakota**
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
1.000
Malpractice
0.406
Facility calculation for 61340 in North Dakota**
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work19.61× 1.00019.6100
Practice expense14.86× 1.00014.8600
Malpractice8.28× 0.4063.3617
Total RVUs37.8317
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, North Dakota**$1263.61

Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula

Facility

Facility calculation inputs
ComponentRVULocal GPCI
Work19.611
Practice expense14.861
Malpractice8.280.406

(19.61 × 1 + 14.86 × 1 + 8.28 × 0.406) × $33.4009 = $1263.61

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.

61340 billing questions

How is this different from code 61322?

This code identifies a subtemporal approach. Code 61322 describes decompressive craniectomy without lobectomy; select based on the operation actually documented, not the general goal of relieving pressure.

How is this different from code 61323?

Code 61323 describes decompressive craniectomy with lobectomy. Use this code when the documented service is subtemporal decompression rather than a decompression that includes lobectomy.

What should the operative report establish?

The report should describe the subtemporal route, the reason for decompression, and the treated side or sides. It should make clear that the operation was not a decompression at another cranial location.

Can modifier 50 be reported for bilateral surgery?

Yes. CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; when performed bilaterally with modifier 50, it is paid at 150%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

What postoperative care is included in the global period?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.

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.

RVUs for 61340PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,770 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for North Dakota**GPCI2026.csv, line 84 (RVU26D)
Open CMS sourceHow this rate is calculatedBuild a fee sheet