Billing code 61608: Cranial lesion resectionMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports surgical excision of an intradural lesion in the posterior cranial fossa, such as a neoplastic, vascular, or infectious lesion.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61608 in Washington.
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 61608 covers
This service covers surgical removal of a lesion located within the dura in the posterior cranial fossa. It may be used for neoplastic, vascular, or infectious lesions. A neurosurgeon typically performs the operation in a hospital operating room; the operative approach and any dural repair are part of the documented surgical service.
Choose this code when the operative report supports both the posterior fossa location and intradural extent. Document the lesion’s site and nature, the surgical work performed, and the relevant operative findings. This major surgery code 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% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 61608 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $3,093.20 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $3,368.81 |
How the 61608 rate is calculated
Each of 61608’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 · 61608
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 44.40Practice expense 32.16Malpractice 18.09
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61608
61608 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61608
Cranial lesion 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) | 2 | 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 · 61608
Cranial lesion 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
61608 without 51 · national facility
$3,161.40
Cranial lesion resection
61608-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,580.70
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%).
61608 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
61608 vs 61607 vs 61606 vs 61601: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 61607Cranial lesion resection
- Both address posterior cranial fossa lesions, but 61608 is for intradural work and 61607 is for extradural work.
- 61606Skull-base lesion resection
- Both describe intradural lesion resection; select 61608 for the posterior cranial fossa and 61606 for the middle cranial fossa.
- 61601Skull base resection
- Both describe intradural lesion resection, but 61601 is for the anterior cranial fossa rather than the posterior cranial fossa.
61608 billing questions
How does this differ from 61607?
61608 is for a posterior fossa lesion approached intradurally. Code 61607 is the extradural counterpart.
Does the service include dural repair?
Dural repair is included in the intradural service. The operative report should establish the lesion’s location and intradural extent.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction work?
For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to a 50% reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is permitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The global period 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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