Billing code 63017: Lumbar laminectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports lumbar laminectomy to decompress the spinal cord or cauda equina across more than two vertebral segments, without facetectomy, foraminotomy, or discectomy.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63017 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 63017 covers
This service covers removal of lumbar lamina across more than two vertebral segments to relieve compression of the spinal cord or cauda equina, commonly in patients with multilevel spinal stenosis. A spine surgeon typically performs the operation in a hospital or other surgical facility. The operative work is a broader decompression than a limited laminotomy, but this code describes decompression without facetectomy, foraminotomy, or discectomy.
Select the code based on the lumbar region, the number of vertebral segments treated, and the documented surgical work. The operative report should identify the levels decompressed, the indication, and the extent of bone removal. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeons are permitted; 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 63017 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 | $1,248.51 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $1,188.04 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $1,197.84 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $1,217.63 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $1,215.81 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $1,209.17 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $1,327.96 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $1,200.50 |
How the 63017 rate is calculated
Each of 63017’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 · 63017
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 16.90Practice expense 13.89Malpractice 6.49
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63017
63017 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63017
Lumbar laminectomy
| 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) | 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 · 63017
Lumbar laminectomy
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
63017 without 51 · national facility
$1,245.19
Lumbar laminectomy
63017-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$622.60
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%).
63017 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
63017 vs 63005 vs 63047 vs 63016 vs 63030: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 63005Lumbar laminectomy
- Both describe lumbar decompression without facetectomy or foraminotomy, but 63005 applies to one or two vertebral segments; 63017 applies to more than two.
- 63047Lumbar decompression
- Choose 63047 when the lumbar decompression includes facetectomy and foraminotomy. 63017 describes multilevel lumbar decompression without those procedures.
- 63016Laminectomy
- 63016 describes the corresponding multilevel laminectomy service in the thoracic region; 63017 is for the lumbar region.
- 63030Lumbar decompression
- 63030 is a limited lumbar nerve-root decompression at one interspace. 63017 describes decompression across more than two lumbar vertebral segments.
63017 billing questions
When is 63017 appropriate instead of 63005?
Use 63017 for lumbar decompression across more than two vertebral segments. Code 63005 is the related lumbar code for one or two segments.
How does 63017 differ from 63047?
63017 describes lumbar decompression without facetectomy or foraminotomy. Consider 63047 when the documented lumbar decompression includes facetectomy and foraminotomy.
Should modifier 50 be reported for bilateral decompression?
No. CMS identifies the bilateral adjustment as inapplicable for this code and modifier 50 as inappropriate.
What operative documentation supports 63017?
Document the lumbar levels treated, the indication for decompression, and the extent of the laminectomy. The record should support treatment of more than two vertebral segments and the work described by this code.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect this code?
For procedures performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard 50% reduction to the others.
What services are included in the global period?
The 90-day global 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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