Billing code 61710: Aneurysm surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports intracranial surgery to trap the carotid artery for an intracranial aneurysm, with a bypass to maintain cerebral blood flow.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61710 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 61710 covers
This operation treats an intracranial aneurysm by surgically trapping the carotid artery through an intracranial approach and creating a bypass to preserve blood supply to the brain. It is performed by a neurosurgeon in an operating room, typically for an aneurysm requiring exclusion of the carotid circulation while maintaining flow to the affected territory.
Choose this code when the operative report supports both carotid trapping and bypass through the intracranial approach; document the aneurysm, operative route, trapping, and bypass performed. The 90-day global period 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 multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor. 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 61710 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $2,016.69 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $2,187.05 |
How the 61710 rate is calculated
Each of 61710’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 · 61710
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work30.51
30.51 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense18.68
18.68 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice12.88
12.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
62.0700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$2,073.19
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61710
61710 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61710
Aneurysm surgery
| 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 · 61710
Aneurysm surgery
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
61710 without 51 · national facility
$2,073.19
Aneurysm surgery
61710-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,036.60
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%).
61710 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 61708Cerebral revascularization
- Both involve carotid trapping and bypass; 61710 is performed through an intracranial approach, while 61708 uses a cervical approach.
- 61705Aneurysm surgery
- This is a related intracranial-approach carotid-trapping procedure. Use 61710 when the documented operation includes the bypass described by this code.
- 61702Aneurysm surgery
- 61702 describes intracranial-approach aneurysm surgery without the carotid-trapping-and-bypass combination represented by 61710.
61710 billing questions
When should 61710 be selected instead of 61708?
61710 describes the intracranial approach with carotid trapping and bypass. Code 61708 is the corresponding cervical-approach procedure.
What operative details support 61710?
The report should identify the intracranial aneurysm and document the intracranial approach, carotid trapping, and bypass. Do not infer these elements from a general statement that cerebral circulation was revised.
Is the bypass separately reported?
The bypass is part of the procedure represented by 61710. The operative documentation should establish that it was performed as part of the carotid-trapping operation.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. The descriptor and anatomy make modifier 50 inappropriate for this procedure.
How are other same-session procedures paid?
Under the standard multiple procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures performed in the same session are paid at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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
Fee sheets
Put 61710 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →