CPT code 61000: Subdural tap2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports drainage or aspiration of subdural fluid in an infant through an open fontanelle or cranial suture, whether one or both sides are treated.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61000 in Oregon.
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 61000 covers
A neurosurgeon uses access through an infant’s open fontanelle or a cranial suture to reach the subdural space and remove fluid. The service may be performed for a subdural fluid collection; the target is the subdural compartment, not a brain ventricle or the cisterns. The code covers treatment of one or both sides.
Report 61000 for the initial tap; use 61001 for a subsequent tap. Documentation should identify the infant, the subdural target, the access route, and whether one or both sides were treated. This minor procedure has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. The code is priced as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery; 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.
Where 61000 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $110.84 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $104.72 |
How the 61000 rate is calculated
Each of 61000’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 · 61000
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.54
1.54 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.15
1.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.64
0.64 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
3.3300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$111.22
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61000
The CMS indicators that decide how 61000 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 61000
Subdural tap
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 2 | Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%. |
| 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
61000 without 51 · national facility
$111.22
Subdural tap
61000-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$55.61
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%).
61000 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 61001Subdural aspiration
- Both codes concern an infant subdural tap through a fontanelle or suture. Choose 61000 for the initial tap and 61001 for a subsequent tap.
- 61020Ventricular drainage
- 61020 accesses a brain ventricle in an infant. Use 61000 when the fluid being tapped is in the subdural space.
- 61050Cisternal puncture
- 61050 concerns access to the cisternal space. Code 61000 is for an infant subdural tap through a fontanelle or suture.
61000 billing questions
When should 61000 be chosen instead of 61001?
Use 61000 for the initial infant subdural tap. Code 61001 represents a subsequent tap.
Does 61000 include treatment on both sides?
Yes. The code is priced as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment.
Is same-day postoperative care separately reported?
No. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How does the multiple-procedure rule affect 61000?
For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to a 50% reduction.
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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