Billing code 63046: Thoracic decompressionMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports surgical decompression of the spinal cord or nerve roots at one thoracic vertebral segment for stenosis using bone removal and foraminal enlargement.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63046 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 63046 covers
A spine surgeon uses this service to relieve thoracic spinal canal, lateral recess, or foraminal narrowing at one vertebral segment. The operation removes portions of the lamina and facet and enlarges the foramen to free the spinal cord or affected nerve roots. It is commonly performed in a hospital operating room for thoracic stenosis causing cord compression or radicular symptoms.
Select the code by the thoracic location and the single vertebral segment treated, not by the number of sides or nerve roots decompressed. The operative report should identify the segment, the stenosis, and the decompression performed. A further treated segment may support the add-on code 63048. CMS includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care in the 90-day global period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. The code is priced as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. Assistant-at-surgery and co-surgeon services may be paid; 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 63046 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $1,192.13 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $1,125.73 |
How the 63046 rate is calculated
Each of 63046’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 · 63046
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work16.82
16.82 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense12.90
12.90 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice5.74
5.74 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
35.4600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,184.40
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63046
63046 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63046
Thoracic decompression
| 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) | 2 | Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%. |
| 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. |
| 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 · 63046
Thoracic decompression
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
63046 without 51 · national facility
$1,184.40
Thoracic decompression
63046-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$592.20
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%).
63046 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63045Cervical decompression
- Use 63045 for the comparable decompression in the cervical region; 63046 is for a thoracic segment.
- 63047Lumbar decompression
- Use 63047 for the comparable decompression in the lumbar region; 63046 is thoracic.
- 63048Spinal decompression
- 63048 is an add-on for an additional treated segment. It is not the primary code for the first segment.
- 63055Spinal decompression
- 63055 describes thoracic decompression through a transpedicular approach. Choose based on the approach and service documented, not just the thoracic location.
63046 billing questions
How is 63046 different from 63045 or 63047?
63046 is for a thoracic segment. Use 63045 for the cervical region and 63047 for the lumbar region when the procedure is otherwise the same.
Can 63046 be reported for more than one thoracic segment?
Report 63046 for the first treated thoracic segment and consider add-on code 63048 for each additional segment supported by the operative report.
Should modifier 50 be added when both sides are decompressed?
CMS prices 63046 as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. The code represents the treated segment rather than a separate charge for each side.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this operation?
CMS permits payment for an assistant at surgery and co-surgeons for 63046. Team surgery is not permitted.
How does CMS handle 63046 when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures 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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