Lumbar laminectomy covering more than two vertebral segments, removing lamina to decompress the cord or cauda equina, without facetectomy, foraminotomy, or discectomy.
- Medicare
- $1,245.19
- Work RVU
- 16.9
- Global, days
- 90
- 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 ↓
- Number and names of segments decompressed (more than two)
- Statement that facetectomy, foraminotomy, and discectomy were not performed
- Imaging findings and neurologic exam supporting the decompression
- Failed conservative care or progressive deficit
- Relationship to any fusion done in the same session
- Operative time and difficulty when modifier 22 is appended
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 ↓
63017 is a lumbar laminectomy spanning more than two vertebral segments, done to decompress the cauda equina without facetectomy, foraminotomy, or disc removal. It is a single code for the whole span, not one code per level. Think of a long posterior decompression for multilevel central stenosis or an epidural lesion where the surgeon only takes lamina.
Most lumbar stenosis decompressions are coded with 63047 and 63048 instead, because surgeons usually undercut the facets and open the foramina. If the op note describes medial facetectomy or foraminotomy, 63017 is the wrong code. Read the op note before picking. Lamina-only removal at one or two lumbar segments goes to 63005, not 63017.
The global period is 90 days. When a fusion is done in the same session, payers look hard at whether the decompression went beyond what the fusion approach required. Document the neural compression and how it was relieved. Modifier 22 needs objective support such as operative time well above normal or a body habitus problem. Check the fee schedule's assistant-at-surgery indicator before billing 80 or 82.
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 (16.9) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (37.28) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 16.9 |
| Practice expense RVU | 13.89 |
| Malpractice RVU | 6.49 |
| Total RVU | 37.28 |
| Medicare national rate | $1,245.19 |
| 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 | $1,245.19 |
HOPD (APC 5114) Hospital outpatient department | $7,413.38 |
ASC (PI G2) Ambulatory surgical center (freestanding) | $3,695.53 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 63017 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Op note describes foraminotomy, so 63047 and 63048 were correct
- Two or fewer segments decompressed
- Bundled with a same-session fusion without separate decompression documented
- Modifier 22 without objective support
- Billed per level instead of once for the span
- Post-op E/M billed inside the 90-day global
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01When do you use 63017 instead of 63047?
02Is 63017 billed once or per level?
03What is the global period for CPT 63017?
04Can 63017 be billed with a lumbar fusion?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe's pre-op notes capture the neurologic deficits, imaging findings, and failed conservative care that support a multilevel decompression, so the surgical claim has a clear medical necessity trail.
See how Mira captures CPT 63017 documentation