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CPT 61510: Supratentorial Brain Tumor Resection, Bone Flap Craniotomy
CPT code 61510 identifies an open cranial procedure to remove a supratentorial brain tumor by creating a bone flap and excising the lesion. This code is used for non-meningioma tumors located above the tentorium cerebelli and is a key descriptor for neurosurgical operative reporting, utilization tracking, and hospital billing for intracranial tumor resections. Nationally, accurate use of this code affects surgical quality measurement, resource allocation for neurosurgical services, and payment determinations for high-acuity operative care.
Payors included in the analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical framing of the procedure, the typical sites of service, commonly billed related codes, and the ICD-10 diagnostic contexts in which the code is applied. The publication also covers payer coverage patterns and common claim modifiers used in practice to reflect bilateral procedures, staged operations, professional vs. technical components, and unusual circumstances.
This summary equips billing managers, coding professionals, and clinical leaders with the operational context for 61510, highlights where coding precision matters for reimbursement and compliance, and situates the code within related cranial procedure codes for cross-reference.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 61510 describes a neurosurgical procedure in which a portion of the skull (a bone flap) is removed to access and excise a brain tumor located above the tentorium cerebelli. The procedure specifically applies to supratentorial intracranial tumor excision and excludes operations performed for meningioma.
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Service type: Open cranial tumor resection (supratentorial)
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Typical site of service: Inpatient or outpatient hospital operating room, depending on clinical complexity and perioperative care needs
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National averages place Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealth Group above Medicare and BUCA: Medicare’s mean is $2,163.80 while BUCA’s mean (an average commercial benchmark) is $2,808.90, a spread of $645.10 that highlights higher commercial pricing relative to Medicare. UnitedHealth Group and Cigna have the highest mean levels at $3,940.00 and $3,621.70 respectively, while Aetna and BCBS sit lower in the commercial range.
Dispersion (P75 minus P25) is narrowest for Aetna at $2,039.80 and tight for Medicare as well with an interquartile spread of $199.00, indicating more concentrated pricing. The widest dispersion appears for UnitedHealth Group at $2,374.40 and Cigna at $2,346.60, reflecting greater variability in allowed amounts across markets.