Billing code 63306: Vertebral resectionMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports partial or complete thoracolumbar vertebral body removal to excise an intradural spinal lesion, selected by lesion compartment and operative level.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63306 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 63306 covers
A spine surgeon, commonly a neurosurgeon or orthopedic spine surgeon, removes part or all of a vertebral body in the thoracolumbar region as part of excising an intradural spinal lesion. The operative distinction is the lesion’s position within the dura and the vertebral region treated; this is not the corresponding service for an extradural lesion.
Select the code from the operative report’s documented lesion location and vertebral level. Documentation should establish the intradural lesion, the thoracolumbar site, the extent of vertebral body removal, and the number of segments treated. Report 63308 for an additional vertebral segment when its requirements are met. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure setting, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this anatomy. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeons require 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 63306 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 | $2,368.91 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $2,279.11 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $2,274.90 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $2,317.86 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $2,316.89 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $2,299.84 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $2,567.80 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $2,294.99 |
How the 63306 rate is calculated
Each of 63306’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 · 63306
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 34.66Practice expense 21.95Malpractice 14.64
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63306
63306 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63306
Vertebral resection
| 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 · 63306
Vertebral resection
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
63306 without 51 · national facility
$2,379.81
Vertebral resection
63306-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,189.91
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%).
63306 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
63306 vs 63305 vs 63307 vs 63302 vs 63308: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 63305Vertebral resection
- Both concern intradural lesions; 63305 applies to the thoracic region, while 63306 applies to the thoracolumbar region.
- 63307Vertebral resection
- 63307 applies to the lumbar or sacral region. Use 63306 for the thoracolumbar region.
- 63302Vertebral body removal
- The region is thoracolumbar in both codes; 63306 concerns an intradural lesion, while 63302 concerns an extradural lesion.
- 63308Vertebral resection
- 63308 is an add-on for an additional vertebral segment, not the primary service code reported for the initial segment.
63306 billing questions
How is 63306 distinguished from 63305?
Both describe intradural vertebral body removal, but 63306 is for the thoracolumbar region and 63305 is for the thoracic region. Use the documented operative level to select the code.
When is 63308 reported with 63306?
63308 is the add-on code for each additional vertebral segment when the service meets its requirements. The operative report should support the additional segment treated.
Can modifier 50 be used for 63306?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply because the descriptor and anatomy make bilateral reporting with modifier 50 inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
How does 63306 differ from 63302?
63306 is for removal associated with an intradural lesion in the thoracolumbar region. 63302 describes the corresponding thoracolumbar service for an extradural lesion.
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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