Billing code 63035: Nerve-root decompressionMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports nerve-root decompression at each additional cervical or lumbar interspace treated during a laminotomy procedure beyond the first interspace.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63035 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 63035 covers
This add-on represents decompression of nerve roots at another cervical or lumbar interspace during a laminotomy operation. The surgeon may remove bone or disc material and perform partial facetectomy or foraminotomy as needed to relieve root compression. Spine surgeons typically perform the work in an operating room, often for disc herniation or foraminal narrowing affecting more than one interspace.
Report 63035 with the applicable primary code, 63020 for cervical surgery or 63030 for lumbar surgery; it is not a standalone service. Count additional interspaces treated, rather than the number of nerve roots, and document the spinal region, interspaces, and decompression performed. CMS treats this as an add-on paid within the primary procedure’s global period. When the procedure is bilateral and modifier 50 is reported, CMS pays 150% of the applicable amount.
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 63035 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $203.06 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $194.64 |
How the 63035 rate is calculated
Each of 63035’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 · 63035
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.76
3.76 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.25
1.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.17
1.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.1800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$206.42
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63035
The CMS indicators that decide how 63035 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 63035
Nerve-root decompression
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 2 | Permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
63035 without 50 · national facility
$206.42
Nerve-root decompression
63035-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$309.63
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).
63035 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63020Cervical laminotomy
- 63020 is the primary cervical procedure for the first interspace. Use 63035 only for additional interspaces treated in that operation.
- 63030Lumbar decompression
- 63030 is the primary lumbar procedure for the first interspace. Use 63035 for each additional interspace treated in the same procedure.
- 63043Laminotomy addl cervical
- 63043 is for additional cervical interspaces in a reexploration operation; 63035 is used with the 63020 or 63030 procedure family.
- 63044Laminotomy addl lumbar
- 63044 is for additional lumbar interspaces in a reexploration operation; 63035 is used with the 63020 or 63030 procedure family.
63035 billing questions
Can 63035 be reported by itself?
No. It is an add-on for an additional cervical or lumbar interspace and must be reported with the applicable primary procedure, 63020 or 63030.
How is the number of units determined?
Count each additional interspace decompressed beyond the first interspace covered by the primary procedure. The number of nerve roots treated does not determine the unit count.
What documentation supports 63035?
Document the cervical or lumbar region, each interspace treated, and the decompression work performed at the additional interspace.
When is modifier 50 relevant?
For a bilateral procedure, CMS pays 150% when modifier 50 is reported. The record should support decompression on both sides.
Does 63035 have its own global period?
No separate global period is assigned in the CMS facts for this add-on; payment is within the primary procedure’s global period.
How does 63035 differ from 63043 or 63044?
63035 represents an additional interspace in the 63020 or 63030 procedure family. Codes 63043 and 63044 describe additional interspaces in the cervical or lumbar reexploration family.
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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