CPT code 50945: Ureterolithotomy, laparoscopic approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Maryland
Laparoscopic ureterolithotomy removes a ureteral calculus through a surgically created ureteral opening when endoscopic stone treatment is not the operative approach.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 50945 in Maryland.
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 50945 covers
A urologist uses laparoscopic access to expose the ureter, open it, and remove a stone directly. This approach is used for ureteral calculi when the operative plan is surgical extraction through the ureter wall rather than treatment from inside the urinary tract with a ureteroscope. The service is generally performed in a hospital or other facility operating room; the operative report should establish the laparoscopic approach and document the ureterotomy and stone removal.
Report this code for the laparoscopic ureterolithotomy, not for ureteroscopic stone treatment. The major-surgery global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 applies to bilateral procedures, paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; 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 50945 pays more and less in Maryland
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore area, MD | Unavailable | $909.35 |
| Rest of Maryland | Unavailable | $869.26 |
| Washington, DC area | Unavailable | $943.98 |
How the 50945 rate is calculated
Each of 50945’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 · 50945
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work17.52
17.52 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.19
6.19 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.25
2.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
25.9600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$867.09
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 50945
50945 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 50945
Ureterolithotomy, laparoscopic 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 · 50945
Ureterolithotomy, laparoscopic 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
50945 without 50 · national facility
$867.09
Ureterolithotomy, laparoscopic approach
50945-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,300.64
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).
50945 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 52352UreteroscopyStone removal or manipulation
- Use 50945 for laparoscopic surgical extraction through an opening in the ureter. Use 52352 when the stone is removed or manipulated through a ureteroscope.
- 52356Ureteroscopic lithotripsyWith ureteral stent
- 52356 describes ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy with stent placement. It is not the laparoscopic ureterotomy and direct extraction represented by 50945.
- 50949Laparoscopic ureter surgeryUnlisted procedure
- 50949 is an unlisted laparoscopic ureter procedure. Use 50945 when the documented service is specifically laparoscopic ureterolithotomy.
50945 billing questions
How does this differ from ureteroscopic stone removal?
This code describes laparoscopic access and direct stone extraction through an opening in the ureter. Codes such as 52352 or 52356 describe treatment performed endoscopically through the urinary tract.
Is the ureterotomy part of the reported service?
Yes. The laparoscopic opening of the ureter to reach and remove the calculus is integral to the ureterolithotomy.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should identify the laparoscopic approach, the ureteral stone, and the direct surgical extraction through a ureteral opening.
How are bilateral procedures handled?
For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 applies; CMS pays the service at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
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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