Billing code 62269: Spinal cord biopsyMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Percutaneous spinal cord biopsy obtains tissue from a cord abnormality when a diagnostic specimen is needed rather than cerebrospinal fluid or disc material.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 62269 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 62269 covers
billing code 62269 represents needle sampling of spinal cord tissue for diagnostic examination. The procedure is intended to obtain tissue from a cord abnormality, rather than cerebrospinal fluid or intervertebral disc material. A neurosurgeon or another physician experienced in spinal procedures typically performs it in a facility setting, with the specimen submitted for pathologic evaluation. CMS recorded facility services for this code in 2024 and no office services.
Report the code when the procedure and documentation support needle collection of spinal cord tissue; document the target and the sampling performed. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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.
62269 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $217.92 |
How the 62269 rate is calculated
Each of 62269’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 · 62269
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 4.88Practice expense 1.31Malpractice 0.46
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 62269
The CMS indicators that decide how 62269 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 62269
Spinal cord biopsy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
62269 without 51 · national facility
$222.12
Spinal cord biopsy
62269-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$111.06
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%).
62269 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
62269 vs 62268 vs 62270 vs 62267: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 62268Cord cyst drainage
- Choose 62269 for needle collection of spinal cord tissue. Choose 62268 when the procedure aspirates a spinal cord cyst or syrinx.
- 62270Lumbar puncture
- 62270 is a diagnostic lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid collection; 62269 obtains spinal cord tissue.
- 62267Disc aspiration
- 62267 targets an intervertebral disc for percutaneous aspiration. 62269 targets spinal cord tissue.
62269 billing questions
How is 62269 different from 62268?
62269 obtains spinal cord tissue for diagnosis. 62268 is used to aspirate a spinal cord cyst or syrinx rather than obtain a tissue biopsy.
Should 62269 be used for a lumbar puncture?
No. A lumbar puncture collects cerebrospinal fluid; 62269 describes needle sampling of spinal cord tissue.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment is unavailable for this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for the descriptor or anatomy.
What same-day care is included in the global period?
The 0-day global period includes preoperative and postoperative care provided on the procedure date.
When is an assistant at surgery payable?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What documentation supports reporting 62269?
Document that a needle was used to obtain spinal cord tissue, including the target and the sampling performed. The record should distinguish tissue sampling from CSF collection or disc aspiration.
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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