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CPT code 50205: Renal biopsy, open surgical exposure2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports kidney tissue sampling performed after surgical exposure, rather than percutaneous needle biopsy, when an open approach is used to obtain tissue.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities906 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $713.11 for 50205 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 50205

Renal biopsy, open surgical exposure

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
11.98
Total RVUs
21.35
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$713.11

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 50205 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 50205 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 50205 covers

A surgeon, commonly a urologist, exposes the kidney surgically and obtains tissue for diagnostic examination. This approach is distinct from passing a biopsy needle through the skin; it is reported when the kidney is accessed through an operative exposure to collect the sample. The service is typically performed in a hospital operating room when a surgical approach is chosen to obtain renal tissue.

Report 50205 for the biopsy performed through surgical exposure, not for a percutaneous biopsy or removal of kidney tissue as treatment. The operative report should support the surgical exposure and tissue sampling, including the side treated. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When performed in the same session with other procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation. 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 50205 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

50205 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$643.23
AlaskaUnavailable$882.36
ArizonaUnavailable$692.16
ArkansasUnavailable$634.74
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$737.73
Austin, TXUnavailable$714.94
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$702.28
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$758.68
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$686.83
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$692.49

50205 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
50205 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 50205 rate is calculated

Each of 50205’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 · 50205

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work11.98

11.98 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense6.39

6.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice2.98

2.98 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

21.3500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$713.11

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 50205

50205 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 50205

Renal biopsy, open surgical exposure

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.08/0.83/0.09Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 50205

Renal biopsy, open surgical exposure

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

50205 without 50 · national facility

$713.11

Renal biopsy, open surgical exposure

50205-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,069.67

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).

When to use modifier 50

50205 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 50205

    Renal biopsy, open surgical exposure11.98 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 50200

    Renal biopsy, percutaneous2.32 wRVU

    $492.00

  • 50220

    Kidney removal, open, nonradical removal18.21 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 50240

    Kidney surgery, open partial resection23.6 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

50200Renal biopsyPercutaneous
50200 is for renal tissue obtained percutaneously with a biopsy needle; 50205 is for tissue obtained after surgical exposure of the kidney.
50220Kidney removalOpen, nonradical removal
50220 reports open removal of a kidney, not diagnostic tissue sampling with the kidney retained.
50240Kidney surgeryOpen partial resection
50240 reports partial nephrectomy, removing part of the kidney; 50205 reports a biopsy obtained through surgical exposure.

Codes related to 50205

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 50205
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
50200Renal biopsy, percutaneousPercutaneous renal biopsy uses a needle approach instead of surgical exposure.$430.79–$676.47
Often billed with
88305Tissue pathology exam, level IV specimenMay report the surgical pathology examination of the renal biopsy specimen.$63.46–$92.44
88313Special stain, group II, tissue constituentsMay report separately performed histochemical special stains on biopsy tissue.$70.29–$113.40

50205 billing questions

How do I choose between 50205 and 50200?

Use 50205 when the kidney is surgically exposed to obtain the biopsy. Use 50200 for a percutaneous renal biopsy.

Is the pathology examination included in 50205?

The surgeon’s code reports obtaining the tissue. The pathology laboratory may separately report the examination, such as 88305, when performed and appropriately documented.

Can I report modifier 50 for biopsies of both kidneys?

CMS identifies 50205 as bilateral; modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Document the operative work on both sides.

What documentation supports 50205?

The operative report should describe surgical exposure of the kidney, tissue sampling, and the side or sides involved.

Does 50205 have a global period?

Yes. It has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

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
RVUs for 50205PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,883 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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