Billing code 62225: Ventricular catheterMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Report this service when a neurosurgeon irrigates or replaces a ventricular catheter in an existing cerebrospinal fluid drainage system.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 62225 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 62225 covers
A neurosurgeon uses this code for operative irrigation or replacement of a ventricular catheter in an existing cerebrospinal fluid drainage system. The procedure may be performed when the catheter needs attention during treatment of impaired cerebrospinal fluid drainage. It is typically provided in a hospital operating room as part of neurosurgical care; the operative report should identify the ventricular catheter and describe whether it was irrigated or replaced.
Report the code based on the work performed on the ventricular catheter, rather than for adjustment of a programmable valve or replacement of an entire shunt system. Medicare assigns a 90-day major-surgery 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 62225 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 | $579.63 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $540.41 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $552.75 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $560.92 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $559.15 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $557.35 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $603.29 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $549.41 |
How the 62225 rate is calculated
Each of 62225’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 · 62225
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 6.04Practice expense 8.58Malpractice 2.51
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 62225
62225 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 62225
Ventricular catheter
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not 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 · 62225
Ventricular catheter
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
62225 without 51 · national facility
$572.16
Ventricular catheter
62225-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$286.08
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%).
62225 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
62225 vs 62230 vs 62252 vs 62258: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 62230Shunt revision
- Use 62225 for irrigation or replacement of the ventricular catheter. Use 62230 when the operative service revises or replaces the CSF shunt, including work beyond the ventricular catheter.
- 62252Shunt reprogramming
- 62252 is for reprogramming a programmable CSF shunt; 62225 involves operative irrigation or replacement of the ventricular catheter.
- 62258Shunt exchange
- 62258 describes removal and replacement of the complete CSF shunt system. 62225 is limited to the ventricular catheter service.
62225 billing questions
How does 62225 differ from 62230?
62225 describes irrigation or replacement of the ventricular catheter. Use 62230 when the operative work is revision or replacement of the cerebrospinal fluid shunt, such as work involving other shunt components.
Does 62225 describe replacement of the entire shunt system?
No. It addresses the ventricular catheter. Removal and replacement of a complete shunt system is represented by a different code, such as 62258.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
What should the operative report document?
Document the existing ventricular catheter, the clinical reason for intervention, and whether the catheter was irrigated or replaced. The report should make clear that the service was directed to the ventricular catheter.
Is postoperative care included in the payment?
The 90-day major-surgery global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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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