Elevation of a simple depressed skull fracture from outside the dura, without opening the brain covering.
- Medicare
- $1,040.77
- Work RVU
- 13.58
- Global, days
- 90
- Region
- Other
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 2 cited references ↓
- Fracture type confirmed as simple and depressed
- Extradural approach with no dural opening
- Elevation technique and result
- Imaging findings
- Other injuries and services involved
Applicable modifiers
Modifiers commonly billed with this code.
Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 2 cited references ↓
62000 reports elevation of a simple depressed skull fracture that stays extradural. Neurosurgeons bill it. More complex fractures, compound fractures, or cases where the dura is opened use other codes in the same series.
Orthopedic trauma teams see it on the same patients. A fall or motor vehicle crash can produce a depressed skull fracture alongside extremity or pelvic injuries. Each service bills its own procedure. If ortho and neurosurgery operate the same day under the same anesthetic, each surgeon's note and claim stand alone, and neither affects the other's global period.
For neurosurgery billing, this is a 90-day global. Choose the code by what was done. If the dura was opened or the fracture was compound, 62000 is wrong and will be pulled on review. Debridement of the scalp wound at the fracture site is generally included when it is part of the same exposure.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
Work RVU vs. total RVU
The work RVU (13.58) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (31.16) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 13.58 |
| Practice expense RVU | 11.86 |
| Malpractice RVU | 5.72 |
| Total RVU | 31.16 |
| Medicare national rate | $1,040.77 |
| Global period | 90 days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $1,040.77 |
HOPD (APC 5164) Hospital outpatient department | $3,387.27 |
ASC (PI G2) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding) | $1,480.50 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 62000 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Dura opened, so a different code applies
- Compound fracture billed as simple
- Same-session scalp debridement billed separately
- Return to OR in the global without modifier 78
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 2 cited references ↓
01When is 62000 the right skull fracture code?
02Does an orthopedic surgery the same day affect billing for 62000?
03What is the global period for CPT 62000?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
- 01CMS Physician Fee Schedule 2026
- 02cms.govhttps://www.cms.gov/medicare/coding-billing/national-correct-coding-initiative-ncci-edits
Mira Scribe
In polytrauma visits, Mira Scribe records the full injury list with the orthopedic findings in their own section, so the ortho claim does not lean on another service's note.
See how Mira captures CPT 62000 documentation