CPT code 51060: Ureterolithotomy, open ureteral incision2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Maryland
Reports open surgical incision into the ureter to remove a ureteral calculus, rather than endoscopic extraction or fragmentation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 51060 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.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 51060 covers
This code represents an open operation in which the surgeon exposes the ureter, makes an incision in it, and removes a calculus. It is used by urologists and other surgeons when the documented procedure is ureterolithotomy, not a cystoscopic or ureteroscopic stone procedure. The operative report should identify the ureter treated, describe the open approach and ureteral incision, and document removal of the calculus.
Select this code based on the operation performed; a stone’s location alone does not distinguish open removal from endoscopic treatment. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; 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 51060 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 | $560.37 |
| Rest of Maryland | Unavailable | $534.90 |
| Washington, DC area | Unavailable | $585.08 |
How the 51060 rate is calculated
Each of 51060’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 · 51060
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work9.70
9.70 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.01
5.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.25
1.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
15.9600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$533.08
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 51060
51060 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 51060
Ureterolithotomy, open ureteral incision
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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 · 51060
Ureterolithotomy, open ureteral incision
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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
51060 without 51 · national facility
$533.08
Ureterolithotomy, open ureteral incision
51060-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$266.54
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
51060 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 51065Ureteral stone removalOperative removal
- Both describe open ureterolithotomy. 51065 is the related code for a complicated procedure; select based on the documented circumstances and CPT distinction.
- 52320Ureteral stone removalWithout stone fragmentation
- Use 52320 for endoscopic removal of a ureteral calculus. 51060 is for open ureterolithotomy involving an incision in the ureter.
- 52352UreteroscopyStone removal or manipulation
- 52352 describes ureteroscopic calculus removal or manipulation. It is distinct from the open surgical approach represented by 51060.
- 52353Stone lithotripsyUreteroscopy or pyeloscopy
- 52353 describes ureteroscopic calculus treatment with lithotripsy; 51060 describes open incision and removal.
51060 billing questions
How does this differ from ureteroscopic stone removal?
51060 describes open ureterolithotomy with an incision in the ureter. Ureteroscopic codes describe endoscopic treatment through the urinary tract.
When would 51065 be considered instead?
51065 is the related complicated ureterolithotomy code. Use the code that matches the documented operative circumstances and the applicable CPT distinction.
Can modifier 50 be used for stones in both ureters?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 should not be used.
What documentation supports reporting 51060?
The operative report should show an open approach, an incision into the ureter, and removal of a ureteral calculus, including the treated side and site.
How is another procedure in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50% when performed in the same session.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; 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
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 51060 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist