Billing code 61500: Skull lesion excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports craniectomy to remove a tumor or other lesion arising in skull bone, rather than an intracranial tumor or other brain lesion.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61500 in Texas.
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 61500 covers
Code 61500 describes an operation in which a surgeon removes skull bone containing a tumor or other lesion. Neurosurgeons commonly perform it in a hospital operating room when the abnormality arises in the calvarial bone. The operative target is the skull itself, distinguishing this service from procedures that remove a tumor, abscess, or other lesion within the brain.
Report the code when the operative documentation supports removal of a skull-bone lesion by craniectomy. The note should identify the lesion’s location and nature and describe the bone removal. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 61500 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Unavailable | $1,201.31 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $1,150.62 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $1,159.33 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $1,176.41 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $1,174.95 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $1,169.04 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $1,270.99 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $1,160.92 |
How the 61500 rate is calculated
Each of 61500’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 · 61500
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work18.70
18.70 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.62
11.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice5.57
5.57 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
35.8900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,198.76
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61500
61500 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61500
Skull lesion excision
| 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 · 61500
Skull lesion excision
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
61500 without 51 · national facility
$1,198.76
Skull lesion excision
61500-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$599.38
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%).
61500 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 61501Craniectomy
- Choose 61501 when the craniectomy treats skull osteomyelitis; choose 61500 for removal of a skull-bone tumor or other lesion.
- 61510Brain tumor excision
- Code 61510 concerns excision of a supratentorial brain tumor. Code 61500 targets a lesion arising in skull bone.
- 61512Meningioma excision
- Code 61512 is for removal of a supratentorial meningioma; 61500 is for a lesion of the skull bone itself.
- 61514Brain abscess surgery
- Code 61514 concerns excision of a supratentorial brain abscess. Use 61500 when the lesion being removed arises in skull bone.
61500 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from craniectomy for osteomyelitis?
Use 61500 for excision of a tumor or other lesion arising in skull bone. Code 61501 is for craniectomy performed for skull osteomyelitis.
Does a brain tumor removal belong under this code?
No. Code 61500 is for a lesion arising in skull bone; codes such as 61510 or 61512 address specified intracranial tumors.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative care?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
What assistant and co-surgeon rules should be considered?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What happens when this is performed with other procedures in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure 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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