Billing code 63600: Spinal lesion removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Operative removal of a lesion involving the spinal cord, reported for surgical treatment rather than stereotactic radiation or neurostimulator procedures.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63600 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 63600 covers
This code represents operative removal of a lesion involving the spinal cord. A neurosurgeon typically performs the procedure in a hospital operating room, using the operative approach and exposure needed to reach the documented lesion. The record should identify the lesion, its spinal location, the surgical target, and the work performed to remove it. It is distinct from stereotactic radiosurgery, which treats a spinal lesion with focused radiation, and from procedures involving spinal cord stimulation hardware.
Select the code based on the procedure actually performed and the applicable billing code descriptor; document the lesion’s location, operative findings, and removal. The service has a 90-day global period, which includes 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% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; 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 63600 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 | $1,084.54 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $1,035.47 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $1,039.70 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $1,058.30 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $1,057.14 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $1,050.43 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $1,164.09 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $1,045.10 |
How the 63600 rate is calculated
Each of 63600’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 · 63600
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work14.74
14.74 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.53
11.53 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice6.21
6.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
32.4800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,084.86
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63600
63600 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 63600
Spinal lesion removal
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 63600
Spinal lesion removal
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
63600 without 51 · national facility
$1,084.86
Spinal lesion removal
63600-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$542.43
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%).
63600 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 63620Spinal radiosurgery
- Use 63600 for operative removal of a spinal cord lesion; 63620 represents treatment with stereotactic radiosurgery.
- 63265Spinal lesion removal
- This is another defined intraspinal lesion excision service. Choose the code whose descriptor matches the lesion and operative details documented.
- 63270Spinal lesion excision
- This is another defined intraspinal lesion excision service. The operative report and applicable descriptor determine whether it or 63600 represents the procedure.
63600 billing questions
How does this differ from spinal stereotactic radiosurgery?
This code describes operative removal of a spinal cord lesion. Code 63620 describes treatment of a spinal lesion with stereotactic radiosurgery rather than surgical excision.
What documentation supports reporting this service?
Document the lesion and its spinal location, the operative target and findings, and the removal performed. The operative report should support that the service was lesion removal, not radiation treatment or neurostimulator work.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral work?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is this paid when other procedures occur in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction, with payment at 50%.
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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