No office rate
Use 61889 for insertion of a skull-mounted cranial generator or receiver. Code 61885 describes a different cranial generator or receiver insertion associated with a single electrode array.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
61889 Neurostimulator implant Medicare reimbursement rates in Tennessee
Reports implantation of a skull-mounted cranial neurostimulator pulse generator or receiver, such as the cranial device used for responsive neurostimulation in epilepsy. Compare 61889 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Tennessee.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 61889 in Tennessee?
Tennessee has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1535.43
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Tennessee
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Neurosurgery
About 61889: Skull-mounted cranial neurostimulator insertion
Reports implantation of a skull-mounted cranial neurostimulator pulse generator or receiver, such as the cranial device used for responsive neurostimulation in epilepsy.
A neurosurgeon implants a pulse generator or receiver designed to mount to the skull and connects it to intracranial neuroelectrodes. A common clinical setting is surgery for responsive neurostimulation in drug-resistant focal epilepsy, where the cranial device can monitor brain activity and deliver stimulation through connected electrodes. The service is performed in an operating room, often as part of a larger neurostimulation implantation procedure.
Report this code for the skull-mounted generator or receiver insertion, not simply for placing the intracranial electrodes. The operative report should establish the skull-mounted device, its insertion, and the electrode connections; report electrode implantation separately when performed and supported by the applicable code. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For same-session procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 61889
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU25.11 · 48%
- Practice expense (office) RVU16.68 · 32%
- Malpractice RVU10.61 · 20%
79
Medicare services in 2024 · #5070 by national volume
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.
61889 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Tennessee, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Code 61886 describes a cranial generator or receiver insertion associated with multiple electrode arrays. The defining distinction for 61889 is the skull-mounted device.
No office rate
Code 61891 is for revision or replacement of a skull-mounted cranial neurostimulator. Code 61889 reports insertion, not revision or replacement.
No office rate
Code 61892 reports removal of a skull-mounted cranial neurostimulator pulse generator or receiver; 61889 reports its insertion.
Compare 61889 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Tennessee →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1535.43
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 61889 in Tennessee.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,904
- Code
- 61889
- Physician work
- 25.11
- Practice expense
- 16.68
- Malpractice
- 10.61
GPCI2026.csv
95
- Locality
- Tennessee
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.909
- Malpractice
- 0.537
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 25.11 | × 1.000 | 25.1100 |
| Practice expense | 16.68 | × 0.909 | 15.1621 |
| Malpractice | 10.61 | × 0.537 | 5.6976 |
| Total RVUs | 45.9697 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Tennessee$1535.43
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 25.11 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 16.68 | 0.909 |
| Malpractice | 10.61 | 0.537 |
(25.11 × 1 + 16.68 × 0.909 + 10.61 × 0.537) × $33.4009 = $1535.43
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
61889 billing questions
How is this different from codes 61885 and 61886?
This code identifies insertion of a generator or receiver designed to mount to the skull. Codes 61885 and 61886 describe other cranial neurostimulator generator or receiver insertions, distinguished by the number of connected electrode arrays.
Does this code include placement of the intracranial electrodes?
Do not treat the generator insertion as a substitute for separately performed electrode implantation. Report the electrode placement under its applicable code when performed and documented.
Can it be reported with an electrode implantation code?
Yes, when the skull-mounted generator or receiver and intracranial electrodes are both implanted during the session, report each service under its applicable code and document the work performed.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How should bilateral work be reported?
When the service is bilateral, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant or another surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
6,90161885,,Insrt/redo neurostim 1 array,A,,5.90,8.42,NA,8.42,,2.37,16.69,16.69,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,90261886,,Implant neurostim arrays,A,,9.68,14.17,NA,14.17,,4.03,27.88,27.88,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,90361888,,Revise/remove neuroreceiver,A,,5.10,4.93,NA,4.93,,2.04,12.07,12.07,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,90461889,,Ins sk-mnt crnl nstm pg/rcvr,A,,25.11,16.68,NA,16.68,,10.61,52.40,52.40,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,90561891,,Rev/rplcmt sk-mnt crnl nstm,A,,10.97,9.84,NA,9.84,,4.26,25.07,25.07,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,90661892,,Rmv sk-mnt crnl nstm pg/rcvr,A,,14.63,12.03,NA,12.03,,6.16,32.82,32.82,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,90762000,,Treat skull fracture,A,,13.58,11.86,NA,11.86,,5.72,31.16,31.16,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9214412,RI,01,RHODE ISLAND,1.019,1.033,0.892
9311202,SC,01,SOUTH CAROLINA,1.000,0.924,0.850
9403402,SD,02,SOUTH DAKOTA**,1.000,1.000,0.336
9510312,TN,35,TENNESSEE,1.000,0.909,0.537
9604412,TX,31,AUSTIN,1.002,1.058,0.886
9704412,TX,20,BEAUMONT,1.000,0.910,0.929
9804412,TX,09,BRAZORIA,1.008,0.991,0.780