CPT code 50820: Urinary diversion, continent intestinal reservoir2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 50820 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 50820 covers

A urologist constructs a reservoir from bowel to store urine and connects the ureters to it, with a continent outlet that can be emptied by catheterization. An Indiana pouch is a familiar example. The operation is commonly performed in a hospital for patients needing urinary diversion, including after bladder removal for cancer. The service includes cystectomy as part of the diversion when performed; the operative report should identify the reservoir and its continent method of emptying.

Choose this code for a continent intestinal reservoir, not an ileal conduit or sigmoid bladder diversion. Documentation should describe the bowel reservoir, ureteral connections, outlet, and whether cystectomy was performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. A bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed; co-surgeon payment requires 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 50820 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 50820 rate is calculated

Each of 50820’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 50820

50820 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 50

50820 compared with similar codes

How to choose

50825Urinary diversionContinent bowel reservoir

Use 50820 for a continent intestinal reservoir. Use 50825 for diversion through an ileal conduit or sigmoid bladder.

50815Urinary diversionUreterosigmoidostomy

50815 describes urinary diversion with ureterosigmoidostomy; 50820 describes a continent intestinal reservoir, such as an Indiana pouch.

50810Ureter-bowel connectionUreteral fusion

50810 is for ureterosigmoidostomy with creation of a sigmoid bladder and bilateral ureteral implantation, not a continent catheterized intestinal reservoir.

Codes related to 50820

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