No office rate
Use 61520 for a cerebellopontine angle tumor other than a meningioma. Code 61518 describes a different infratentorial tumor resection situation.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
61520 Brain lesion removal Medicare reimbursement rates in Washington
Reports surgical removal of a cerebellopontine angle brain tumor other than a meningioma, typically through a craniotomy or craniectomy. Compare 61520 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Washington.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 61520 in Washington?
Washington has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$3403.69–$3674.40
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Neurosurgery
About 61520: Cerebellopontine angle tumor resection
Reports surgical removal of a cerebellopontine angle brain tumor other than a meningioma, typically through a craniotomy or craniectomy.
This code is for operative removal of a tumor in the cerebellopontine angle, the space between the cerebellum and pons. A vestibular schwannoma, also called an acoustic neuroma, is a familiar example. A neurosurgeon performs the resection in an operating room, using a craniotomy or craniectomy to reach the lesion. The operative report should establish the tumor’s cerebellopontine angle location and distinguish it from a meningioma.
Select this code based on the operative site and lesion type, not simply because a brain tumor was removed. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the following 90 days. 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 multiple procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeons are permitted; team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 61520
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU55.66 · 53%
- Practice expense (office) RVU27.93 · 27%
- Malpractice RVU21.17 · 20%
587
Medicare services in 2024 · #3412 by national volume
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.
61520 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Washington, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Code 61519 is for infratentorial meningioma resection; 61520 is for a cerebellopontine angle tumor other than a meningioma.
No office rate
Both concern cerebellopontine angle tumors, but 61521 is the meningioma-specific option. Use 61520 for a non-meningioma tumor.
No office rate
Code 61522 is for removal of an infratentorial brain abscess, not a cerebellopontine angle tumor.
Compare 61520 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
2 of 2 payment localities
Rest Of Washington →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$3403.69
Seattle (King Cnty) →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$3674.40
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61520 billing questions
How does this differ from code 61518?
Use 61520 for a cerebellopontine angle tumor other than a meningioma. Code 61518 is for a different infratentorial tumor situation, not a CPA tumor.
When should code 61521 be considered instead?
Code 61521 is the related option for a cerebellopontine angle meningioma. The operative documentation should identify the lesion as a meningioma.
What documentation supports reporting 61520?
The operative report should identify the cerebellopontine angle as the tumor site and describe the surgical removal. Include findings that distinguish the lesion from a meningioma.
How does the global period affect postoperative billing?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made, and co-surgeons are permitted. Team surgery is not permitted for this code.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
6,78361517,,Implt brn intrcv chemotx agt,A,,1.35,0.47,NA,0.47,,0.56,2.38,2.38,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,78461518,,Removal of brain lesion,A,,38.89,25.12,NA,25.12,,16.38,80.39,80.39,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,78561519,,Remove brain lining lesion,A,,42.34,24.43,NA,24.43,,17.73,84.50,84.50,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,78661520,,Removal of brain lesion,A,,55.66,27.93,NA,27.93,,21.17,104.76,104.76,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,78761521,,Removal of brain lesion,A,,45.82,25.49,NA,25.49,,18.83,90.14,90.14,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,78861522,,Removal of brain abscess,A,,30.75,19.82,NA,19.82,,12.98,63.55,63.55,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,78961524,,Removal of brain lesion,A,,29.14,19.26,NA,19.26,,12.32,60.72,60.72,0,090,0.11,0.76,0.13,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00