CPT code 50075: Kidney stone removal, large staghorn calculus2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Pennsylvania
Reports open kidney surgery to remove a large staghorn calculus occupying the renal collecting system, rather than a smaller stone or percutaneous treatment.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 50075 in Pennsylvania.
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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On this page 9 sections
What 50075 covers
A urologist performs an open nephrolithotomy to remove a large staghorn calculus from the kidney’s collecting system, which may extend through the renal pelvis and calyces. The operation involves surgical access to the kidney and removal of the extensive stone burden, typically in an operating-room setting. The operative report should establish the open approach and the large staghorn calculus being treated.
Select this code for the large staghorn stone removal, not routine removal of a smaller calculus or percutaneous lithotripsy. It has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Modifier 50 identifies bilateral surgery and is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 50075 pays more and less in Pennsylvania
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Philadelphia, PA | Unavailable | $1,346.71 |
| Rest of Pennsylvania | Unavailable | $1,265.69 |
How the 50075 rate is calculated
Each of 50075’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 · 50075
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work26.41
26.41 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.02
9.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.39
3.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
38.8200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,296.62
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 50075
50075 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 50075
Kidney stone removal, large staghorn calculus
| 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 · 50075
Kidney stone removal, large staghorn calculus
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
50075 without 50 · national facility
$1,296.62
Kidney stone removal, large staghorn calculus
50075-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,944.93
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).
50075 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 50060Kidney stone surgeryOpen nephrotomy approach
- Both describe open nephrolithotomy, but 50075 is the large-staghorn calculus service. Use 50060 for calculus removal without that distinction.
- 50065Kidney stone surgerySecondary operation
- Code 50065 identifies a secondary operation for calculus removal; 50075 identifies open removal of a large staghorn calculus.
- 50080Percutaneous stone removalSimple, up to 2 cm
- Code 50080 is percutaneous nephrolithotripsy for a small or simple stone burden. This code describes open removal of a large staghorn calculus.
- 50081Kidney stone removalStone burden over 2 cm
- Code 50081 describes percutaneous nephrolithotripsy for a complex or larger stone burden. Choose 50075 when the documented procedure is open removal of a large staghorn calculus.
50075 billing questions
How does this differ from 50060?
Use 50075 for open removal of a large staghorn calculus. Code 50060 describes nephrolithotomy for calculus removal without that large-staghorn distinction.
When is 50065 more appropriate?
Code 50065 describes a secondary operation for calculus removal. This code identifies open removal of a large staghorn calculus, not the secondary-operation circumstance.
Can percutaneous stone treatment be reported instead?
Codes 50080 and 50081 describe percutaneous nephrolithotripsy, with the applicable code depending on stone complexity and size. They represent a different approach from the open surgery reported here.
What documentation supports reporting 50075?
The operative report should document the open approach and the large staghorn calculus removed. Include the documented stone extent and the procedure performed.
How is bilateral surgery handled?
Report modifier 50 for a bilateral procedure; CMS pays this code at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
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
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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