Billing code 63308: Vertebral resectionMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Additional vertebral-body resection for an intraspinal lesion is reported for each extra vertebral segment removed with a qualifying primary transpedicular resection.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 63308 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 63308 covers
Code 63308 captures removal of an additional vertebral segment during transpedicular resection to excise an intraspinal lesion. Spine surgeons, including neurosurgeons and orthopedic spine surgeons, report it when the resection involves more segments than the primary procedure represents. The primary code distinguishes extradural from intradural disease and identifies the spinal region; this add-on accounts for each additional segment removed.
Report 63308 only with a qualifying primary procedure from 63300–63307, not for the first segment alone. The operative report should identify the lesion, its extradural or intradural relationship, the spinal region, and each additional vertebral segment resected. CMS treats 63308 as an add-on: it is billed only with a primary procedure and paid within that procedure’s global period. It is not a stand-alone service for a separate encounter.
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 63308 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $279.56 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $299.23 |
How the 63308 rate is calculated
Each of 63308’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 · 63308
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 5.11Practice expense 1.71Malpractice 1.83
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 63308
The CMS indicators that decide how 63308 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 63308
Vertebral resection
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 80 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
63308 without 80 · national facility
$288.92
Vertebral resection
63308-80 · Assistant: 16%
$46.23
A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.
63308 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
63308 vs 63300 vs 63301 vs 63304: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 63300Vertebral resection
- 63300 is the primary code for resection of an extradural cervical lesion. Code 63308 accounts for additional vertebral segments and must accompany a qualifying primary code.
- 63301Vertebral resection
- 63301 identifies a primary extradural thoracic resection. It does not represent an additional segment in the way 63308 does.
- 63304Spinal lesion surgery
- 63304 is the primary code for an intradural cervical lesion. Choose the primary code based on lesion relationship and region; use 63308 for additional resected segments.
63308 billing questions
When is 63308 reported instead of a primary code?
Use 63300–63307 for the primary resection, based on the lesion’s extradural or intradural location and spinal region. Report 63308 for each additional vertebral segment resected beyond the segment represented by the primary procedure.
Can 63308 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code reported with a qualifying primary resection code from 63300–63307.
What documentation supports an additional segment?
The operative report should identify each additional vertebral segment actually resected as part of the intraspinal lesion procedure. It should also support the primary code’s lesion relationship and spinal region.
How does CMS treat payment and the global period?
CMS requires 63308 to be billed with a primary procedure and pays it within that procedure’s global period.
Can a modifier make 63308 payable without its primary code?
No. A modifier does not replace the required primary procedure; 63308 remains an add-on to a qualifying resection code.
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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