Headline: CPT code 61314: Neurosurgical hematoma evacuation that relieves intracranial pressure

Lead: CPT code 61314 represents a neurosurgical procedure to drain subdural or epidural hematomas by creating burr holes and potentially opening the skull to access brain regions beneath the tentorium. The intervention is acute and often emergent, intended to relieve mass effect and prevent secondary brain injury.

What the code represents and why it matters: CPT code 61314 captures a high-acuity neurosurgical service used to treat intracranial hematomas resulting from trauma, medical procedures, or spontaneous hemorrhage. Nationally, this code is relevant for hospital-based surgical reporting, resource intensity planning, and acute-care quality monitoring because timely evacuation can be life-saving and drives significant inpatient resource use.

Key payers covered: This summary addresses coverage and billing considerations across major national payers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.

Overview of what readers will learn: The publication provides clinical context for the procedure, expected sites of service, typical care setting, common billing modifiers (listed separately), and what to expect in payer coverage approaches and authorization practices. Readers will find benchmarks, policy updates, and coding considerations relevant to hospital billing teams and revenue cycle managers.

Data availability: Data not available in the input for specific associated taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, or related codes.