Billing code 61750: Brain biopsyMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
A neurosurgeon obtains brain tissue through a burr hole or trephine for diagnosis when the biopsy is performed without CT or MR guidance.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 61750 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 61750 covers
The neurosurgeon creates a small opening in the skull with a burr hole or trephine and takes a sample of brain tissue for diagnosis. This service is typically performed in an operating room, often in a hospital, to investigate an intracranial lesion or other abnormal brain finding. The sample is sent for pathologic examination; the surgeon reports the operative biopsy, not the pathologist’s interpretation.
Select this code when the operative report supports a brain biopsy through a skull opening without the CT or MR guidance associated with the stereotactic biopsy alternative. Document the target, approach, tissue obtained, and any dural opening. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 61750 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $1,353.88 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $1,474.49 |
How the 61750 rate is calculated
Each of 61750’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 · 61750
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work19.33
19.33 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense14.03
14.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice8.12
8.12 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
41.4800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,385.47
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 61750
61750 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 61750
Brain biopsy
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 61750
Brain biopsy
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
61750 without 51 · national facility
$1,385.47
Brain biopsy
61750-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$692.74
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%).
61750 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 61751Brain biopsy
- 61751 is the stereotactic biopsy option when CT or MR guidance is used. This code is for a brain biopsy without that guidance.
- 61720Brain electrode placement
- Choose 61720 when the operative service is treatment of a brain lesion rather than biopsy for tissue diagnosis.
- 61735Brain lesioning
- This code is for brain biopsy; 61735 represents an operative brain procedure rather than tissue sampling for diagnosis.
61750 billing questions
When should 61751 be reported instead?
Use 61751 when the brain biopsy is performed with CT or MR guidance. This code describes the biopsy without that guidance.
Can separate brain biopsy codes be reported for multiple tissue samples?
The code describes the biopsy procedure, not each specimen. Document the target and samples obtained; multiple specimens alone do not establish separate procedures.
Does the 90-day global period include postoperative care?
Yes. It includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be used for biopsies on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted. Co-surgeon payment is allowed only with supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
How does CMS handle this code with other procedures in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% 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 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 61750 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 →