Billing code 61545: Brain tumor surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Report this neurosurgical service when the surgeon operatively removes a brain tumor, rather than treating a tumor in the pituitary gland or skull.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61545 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 61545 covers
A neurosurgeon removes a tumor arising in brain tissue through an operative cranial approach, such as a craniotomy or craniectomy. The procedure is generally performed in a hospital operating room for a patient with an intracranial tumor requiring surgical removal. The operative report should establish the tumor as the target and describe the approach and excision performed.
Select this code when the documented operation matches brain-tumor excision, not removal of a pituitary gland or a tumor arising from skull bone. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; co-surgeons require 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.
Where 61545 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $3,031.37 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $2,875.39 |
How the 61545 rate is calculated
Each of 61545’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 · 61545
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work45.27
45.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense27.50
27.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice19.10
19.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
91.8700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$3,068.54
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61545
61545 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61545
Brain tumor 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 · 61545
Brain tumor 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
61545 without 51 · national facility
$3,068.54
Brain tumor surgery
61545-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,534.27
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%).
61545 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 61546Pituitary surgery
- This code concerns removal of a brain tumor. Code 61546 is for removal of the pituitary gland, so base selection on the structure operated on.
- 61548Pituitary surgery
- Use this code for excision of a brain tumor; 61548 describes pituitary gland removal.
- 61563Skull tumor excision
- This code is for a tumor in brain tissue, while 61563 is for a tumor arising from the skull.
- 61564Skull tumor excision
- Choose this code for brain-tumor excision, not excision of a skull tumor as described by 61564.
61545 billing questions
How do I distinguish this from pituitary tumor surgery?
Use this code when the operative target is a tumor in brain tissue. When the procedure removes the pituitary gland, consider the pituitary excision codes instead.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should identify the brain tumor as the target and describe its surgical removal and the cranial approach used.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in the session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only when supporting documentation is provided; team surgery is not permitted.
What care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the preoperative visit on the day before surgery 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 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
Fee sheets
Put 61545 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →