Billing code 20663: Halo applicationMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Reports placement of the femoral fixation component of a halo-traction setup, commonly used to support gradual correction of severe spinal deformity.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 20663 in Utah.
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 20663 covers
This service establishes femoral fixation for halo traction, in which traction applied through a femoral attachment can help manage severe spinal deformity. An orthopedic or spine surgeon typically performs the procedure in a surgical setting. The code includes removal of the femoral halo component when the traction course is complete; it identifies the femoral application, not cranial or pelvic halo placement.
Report the code when the documented service involves femoral halo fixation, rather than another skeletal traction device or a halo applied at a different site. The record should identify the femoral fixation and its role in the traction treatment. The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented 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.
20663 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $446.57 |
How the 20663 rate is calculated
Each of 20663’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 · 20663
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work5.60
5.60 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.11
7.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.21
1.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
13.9200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$464.94
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 20663
20663 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 20663
Halo application
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| 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) | 0.10/0.69/0.21 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 20663
Halo application
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
20663 without 50 · national facility
$464.94
Halo application
20663-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$697.41
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
20663 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 20660Cranial traction
- 20660 describes another form of skeletal traction-device application. Choose 20663 when the documented fixation is femoral halo traction.
- 20661Cranial halo
- 20661 is for cranial halo application; 20663 identifies the femoral site.
- 20662Halo application
- 20662 identifies pelvic halo application, not femoral fixation.
- 20665Cranial device removal
- 20665 describes removal of tongs or a halo other than from the femur. Femoral halo removal is included in 20663.
20663 billing questions
How does this differ from cranial or pelvic halo application?
This code identifies femoral fixation for halo traction. Use the cranial or pelvic sibling code when the halo is applied at that site.
Is removal of the femoral halo reported separately?
No. Removal of the femoral halo component is included in this service.
Can this be reported with a cranial halo code?
A cranial halo may be part of the same traction treatment, but report each service only when the corresponding site-specific application is performed and documented.
When is modifier 50 used?
For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 applies under the CMS bilateral payment rule; payment is 150%.
What supports assistant-at-surgery payment?
The record must document medical necessity for the assistant. CMS does not permit co-surgeon or team-surgery payment for this code.
Does the global period include postoperative care?
Yes. 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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