Billing code 63277: Spinal lesion surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports lumbar laminectomy access to biopsy or remove a neoplasm located outside the dura but within the spinal canal.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63277 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 63277 covers
A neurosurgeon typically uses a lumbar laminectomy to reach a neoplasm within the spinal canal but outside the dura, then obtains tissue for diagnosis or removes the lesion. This service is generally performed in an operating room, often in a hospital or other facility setting. The code is specific to the extradural location and lumbar region; it is not the code for a lesion within the dura or for a non-neoplastic lesion.
Report the service when the operative documentation identifies the lumbar level, establishes the lesion’s extradural location, and describes biopsy or excision. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires 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 63277 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $1,500.70 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $1,420.11 |
How the 63277 rate is calculated
Each of 63277’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 · 63277
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 21.83Practice expense 15.06Malpractice 8.09
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63277
63277 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63277
Spinal lesion 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 · 63277
Spinal lesion 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
63277 without 51 · national facility
$1,502.37
Spinal lesion surgery
63277-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$751.19
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%).
63277 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
63277 vs 63267 vs 63272 vs 63282 vs 63276: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 63267Spinal lesion excision
- Use 63277 for a neoplasm in the extradural lumbar canal. Code 63267 applies to an extradural lumbar lesion other than a neoplasm.
- 63272Spinal lesion surgery
- This code is for an extradural lumbar neoplasm. Code 63272 concerns a non-neoplastic lesion in the intradural lumbar compartment.
- 63282Spinal lesion surgery
- Both concern lumbar neoplasms, but 63277 is for an extradural lesion; 63282 is for an intradural, extramedullary lesion.
- 63276Spinal lesion surgery
- The lesion type and extradural location are shared; choose 63276 for the thoracic region and 63277 for the lumbar region.
63277 billing questions
How does this code differ from 63267?
Both concern an extradural lumbar lesion, but 63277 is for a neoplasm. Code 63267 is for an intraspinal lesion other than a neoplasm.
What distinguishes this service from 63282?
The lesion’s relationship to the dura is the key distinction: 63277 describes an extradural lumbar neoplasm, while 63282 is for an intradural, extramedullary lumbar neoplasm.
What documentation supports reporting 63277?
Document the lumbar level, the lesion’s extradural position within the spinal canal, its neoplastic nature, and whether the surgeon biopsied or excised it.
Is the laminectomy reported separately?
The laminectomy provides access for the biopsy or excision described by this service. The operative note should show the access and lesion work performed.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
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 63277 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 →