CPT code 61571: Brain wound surgery2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Reports a craniotomy or craniectomy to treat a penetrating brain wound when the operation does not include removal of a foreign body.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61571 in Ohio.
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 61571 covers
A neurosurgeon uses a craniotomy or craniectomy to access and treat a penetrating injury to the brain, such as a wound caused by an object entering the skull. This code distinguishes wound treatment without foreign-body removal from the related procedure that includes removing a foreign body. The operative report should establish the penetrating brain injury and describe the surgical access and treatment performed.
Report the service for the wound operation, not for a procedure whose target is only an intracranial hematoma or a brain lesion. Document whether a foreign body was removed; that detail helps distinguish this service from 61570. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% 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.
61571 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $1,892.22 |
How the 61571 rate is calculated
Each of 61571’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 · 61571
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work27.71
27.71 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense18.76
18.76 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice11.72
11.72 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
58.1900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,943.60
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61571
61571 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61571
Brain wound surgery
| 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 · 61571
Brain wound surgery
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
61571 without 51 · national facility
$1,943.60
Brain wound surgery
61571-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$971.80
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%).
61571 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 61570Brain foreign-body removal
- Choose 61571 when the penetrating wound is treated without foreign-body removal; choose 61570 when the operation includes removal of a foreign body from the brain.
- 61312Hematoma evacuation
- 61571 treats a penetrating brain wound. 61312 is for evacuation of an extradural or subdural hematoma above the tentorium.
- 61313Hematoma evacuation
- 61571 treats a penetrating brain wound. 61313 is for evacuation of an intraparenchymal hematoma above the tentorium.
61571 billing questions
How does 61571 differ from 61570?
61571 describes surgery for a penetrating brain wound without foreign-body removal. Use 61570 when the operation includes removing a foreign body from the brain.
Can the surgeon also report a hematoma evacuation?
A separately performed hematoma evacuation may be reportable when it is a distinct procedure. The operative documentation should identify the hematoma treatment separately from treatment of the penetrating wound.
What documentation supports 61571?
Document the penetrating brain injury, the craniotomy or craniectomy performed, the treatment of the wound, and whether a foreign body was removed.
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.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 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 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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