Placement of an indwelling catheter in the cervical or thoracic epidural or subarachnoid space for continuous infusion or repeated bolus dosing, done without fluoroscopic or CT guidance.
- Medicare
- $153.64
- Work RVU
- 1.84
- Global, days
- 0
- Region
- Spine
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 3 cited references ↓
- Cervical or thoracic level of catheter entry and confirmation no imaging was used
- Purpose of the catheter (post-op analgesia versus surgical anesthetic)
- Surgeon request for post-op pain management when billed separately
- Test dose, infusion drug, concentration, and rate or bolus plan
- Type of anesthesia used for the surgical case
- Catheter secured and patient response after placement
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 3 cited references ↓
62324 covers threading a catheter into the cervical or thoracic epidural or subarachnoid space so drug can be infused continuously or given in intermittent boluses. It is the catheter version of the single-shot interlaminar codes, done without fluoro or CT. With imaging, use 62325.
In an ortho setting this code usually belongs to anesthesia. The common case is a thoracic epidural catheter placed for post-op pain control after a large spine reconstruction or a chest-wall procedure. The orthopedic surgeon does not bill it, but the surgical team should know it exists because it affects how the anesthesia claim is built.
When the catheter is placed only for post-op pain and the case was done under general anesthesia, the anesthesiologist can usually report 62324 separately with modifier 59 or XU. If the epidural is the primary anesthetic, the catheter is part of the anesthesia service and is not billed. Daily follow-up of the infusion after the day of placement goes on 01996, not a repeat of 62324. Placement is reported once per catheter, not per day.
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 (1.84) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (4.6) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 1.84 |
| Practice expense RVU | 2.6 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.16 |
| Total RVU | 4.6 |
| Medicare national rate | $153.64 |
| Global period | 0 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 | $153.64 |
HOPD (APC 5443) Hospital outpatient department | $903.63 |
ASC (PI G2) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding) | $485.51 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 62324 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Catheter billed when the epidural was the primary anesthetic for the case
- Missing modifier 59 or XU when billed with the anesthesia service
- No documented surgeon request for post-op pain management
- Billed daily instead of using 01996 for subsequent management
- Fluoroscopy billed separately when 62325 was the correct code
- Lumbar catheter coded to the cervical/thoracic code
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01Can anesthesia bill 62324 with general anesthesia for the same surgery?
02Is daily epidural catheter management billed with 62324?
03What is the difference between 62324 and 62325?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe's notes record why the catheter was placed and who asked for it, so the separate-service story for post-op pain control is in the record when the anesthesia claim goes out.
See how Mira captures CPT 62324 documentation