Billing code 62117: Skull reconstructionMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports operative reduction of a skull defect when the surgeon performs reconstructive work to improve the defect’s shape or contour.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 62117 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 62117 covers
A neurosurgeon or craniofacial surgeon reports this service for an operation that reduces a skull defect or abnormal cranial contour. The surgeon exposes the affected area and performs the reconstruction needed to reshape or restore the skull. The operative report should identify the defect, its location and extent, and the reconstructive steps performed; the code is not selected from the diagnosis alone.
Report the service for the documented operative work, distinguishing it from codes for other skull-defect repairs by the specific technique and scope described in the operative note. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to standard multiple-procedure reduction. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 62117 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $1,856.18 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $2,015.26 |
How the 62117 rate is calculated
Each of 62117’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 · 62117
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 27.64Practice expense 17.73Malpractice 11.70
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 62117
62117 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 62117
Skull reconstruction
| 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) | 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 · 62117
Skull reconstruction
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
62117 without 51 · national facility
$1,906.19
Skull reconstruction
62117-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$953.10
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%).
62117 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
62117 vs 62115 vs 62140 vs 62141 vs 62146: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 62115Craniosynostosis surgery
- Both concern reduction of a skull defect. Select the code whose full descriptor matches the reconstruction performed, using the operative note’s details rather than the diagnosis alone.
- 62140Cranioplasty
- 62140 describes cranioplasty for a skull defect up to 5 cm. Use it when that measured-defect repair matches the documented procedure rather than the work represented by 62117.
- 62141Cranioplasty
- 62141 describes cranioplasty for a skull defect over 5 cm. The defect measurement and operation must support that code’s scope.
- 62146Cranioplasty
- 62146 describes cranioplasty using an autograft for a defect up to 5 cm and includes obtaining the graft; distinguish it by graft use and defect size.
62117 billing questions
How do I distinguish 62117 from 62115?
Compare the operative work with each code’s full billing code descriptor. The operative report should establish the defect and the specific reconstructive technique and extent; the diagnosis by itself does not select between them.
Can a separately performed skull repair be reported with 62117?
Report another procedure only when the surgeon performed distinct work that is separately represented by that code. CMS applies standard multiple-procedure reduction to qualifying procedures performed in the same session.
What documentation supports reporting 62117?
Document the skull defect’s location and extent, the operative steps used to reduce or reconstruct it, and why those steps were necessary. The note should make the service distinguishable from other skull-defect repair techniques.
How does the global period affect postoperative claims?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. Those included services are part of the surgical episode.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is 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
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