CPT code 50060: Kidney stone surgery, open nephrotomy approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Open nephrotomy to remove a renal calculus is reported when the surgeon directly enters the kidney rather than using a percutaneous stone-removal approach.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 50060 in Massachusetts.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 50060 covers
A urologist performs an open operation that enters the kidney through a surgical incision to remove a renal calculus. The service is performed in an operating room, generally in a facility setting. It represents direct open access to the kidney, not stone treatment through a percutaneous tract. The operative report should identify the side, the approach, and the calculus removal performed.
Select this code for open renal stone removal, distinguishing a secondary surgical operation or a large staghorn calculus when those circumstances support another code. The record should support the operative method and any details relevant to that distinction. CMS assigns a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 50060 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston, MA | Unavailable | $1,085.75 |
| Rest of Massachusetts | Unavailable | $1,025.42 |
How the 50060 rate is calculated
Each of 50060’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 50060
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work20.43
20.43 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.46
7.46 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.62
2.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
30.5100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,019.06
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 50060
50060 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 50060
Kidney stone surgery, open nephrotomy approach
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.08/0.83/0.09 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 50060
Kidney stone surgery, open nephrotomy approach
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
50060 without 50 · national facility
$1,019.06
Kidney stone surgery, open nephrotomy approach
50060-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,528.59
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
50060 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 50065Kidney stone surgerySecondary operation
- Use 50065 when nephrolithotomy is performed as a secondary surgical operation. This code describes open renal calculus removal without that secondary-operation distinction.
- 50075Kidney stone removalLarge staghorn calculus
- 50075 identifies removal of a large staghorn calculus. Use this code for open renal stone removal when that specific circumstance is not the applicable selection.
- 50080Percutaneous stone removalSimple, up to 2 cm
- 50080 describes percutaneous nephrolithotomy for a less complex stone presentation. This code involves open access to the kidney.
- 50081Kidney stone removalStone burden over 2 cm
- 50081 describes percutaneous nephrolithotomy for a more complex or larger stone presentation. This code describes an open nephrotomy approach.
50060 billing questions
How does this differ from percutaneous nephrolithotomy?
This code describes open access through a surgical incision into the kidney. Codes 50080 and 50081 describe percutaneous stone removal, with selection based on the applicable stone complexity and size criteria.
When should 50065 be considered instead?
Code 50065 is for nephrolithotomy performed as a secondary surgical operation. The operative documentation should establish that circumstance rather than a primary open stone-removal procedure.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 applies; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
What should the operative report document?
Document the side, open approach, and removal of the renal calculus. Include details that support whether the case involved a secondary operation or a large staghorn calculus.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
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