Billing code 61888: Neurostimulator surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Revision or removal of an implanted cranial neurostimulator receiver or pulse generator when the existing cranial component is surgically altered or taken out.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61888 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 61888 covers
A neurosurgeon exposes an implanted cranial neurostimulator receiver or pulse generator to revise or remove that component. The work concerns the cranial generator or receiver, rather than an intracranial electrode array. These procedures are generally performed in an operating room for patients with implanted neurostimulation systems, such as systems used for movement disorders or seizure treatment.
Report this code when the operative service addresses the existing cranial receiver or generator; use the insertion or replacement codes when that is the service performed, and the electrode revision code when the electrode array is the target. The operative note should identify the device component treated and whether it was revised or removed. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, payment is 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid; 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.
61888 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $389.37 |
How the 61888 rate is calculated
Each of 61888’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 · 61888
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 5.10Practice expense 4.93Malpractice 2.04
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61888
61888 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61888
Neurostimulator surgery
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| 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 · 61888
Neurostimulator surgery
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
61888 without 50 · national facility
$403.15
Neurostimulator surgery
61888-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$604.73
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
61888 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
61888 vs 61880 vs 61885 vs 61891 vs 61892: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 61880Neuroelectrode surgery
- Choose 61888 when the cranial receiver or generator is revised or removed; choose 61880 when the work is on the neurostimulator electrode array.
- 61885Neurostimulator generator
- 61885 covers insertion or replacement of a cranial generator or receiver with a single array connection. This code is for revision or removal.
- 61891Neurostimulator revision
- 61891 is specific to revision or replacement of a skull-mounted cranial neurostimulator. Distinguish the device type from the cranial receiver or generator service reported with 61888.
- 61892Neurostimulator removal
- 61892 is specific to removal of a skull-mounted cranial neurostimulator; 61888 addresses revision or removal of the cranial receiver or generator.
61888 billing questions
How do I distinguish this code from 61880?
Use 61888 for revision or removal of the cranial receiver or pulse generator. Code 61880 addresses revision or removal of the neurostimulator electrode array.
When should I use 61885 or 61886 instead?
Those codes describe insertion or replacement of a cranial neurostimulator generator or receiver. Use 61888 when the service is revision or removal of the existing component.
Are postoperative visits separately reported during the global period?
Related postoperative visits within the 10-day global period are included in the procedure.
How are multiple procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in that session are paid at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the implanted cranial component treated and the work performed to revise or remove it. Identify whether the procedure instead involved insertion or replacement, or treatment of an electrode array.
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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