CPT code 50250: Renal cryoablation, open surgical approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 50250 in California.

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

What 50250 covers

This service involves surgically exposing the kidney and using cryosurgical probes to freeze and destroy one or more renal masses. A urologist typically performs it in an operating room when an open approach is selected for treatment of a renal tumor. The code represents ablation rather than removal of kidney tissue for examination or excision of the mass.

Report it for the open cryosurgical approach, documenting the mass treated, the operative exposure, and the ablation method. One or more masses are covered by the service; the code is not counted separately for each mass. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. 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 50250 pays more and less in California

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

29 of 29 payment localities

How the 50250 rate is calculated

Each of 50250’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 50250

50250 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

50250 compared with similar codes

How to choose

50593Renal ablationPercutaneous cryotherapy

Choose 50250 for open surgical cryoablation. 50593 is for percutaneous renal tumor ablation by cryotherapy.

50542Renal mass ablationLaparoscopic approach

50542 describes laparoscopic surgical ablation of a renal mass; 50250 describes the open approach.

50240Kidney surgeryOpen partial resection

50240 is partial nephrectomy, removing kidney tissue with the lesion. 50250 destroys one or more masses by freezing.

Codes related to 50250

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates