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CPT code 51530: Bladder tumor excision, open cystotomy approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports open surgical access to the bladder to excise a tumor, rather than treatment performed through a cystoscope and urethra.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities44 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $696.41 for 51530 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 51530

Bladder tumor excision, open cystotomy approach

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
13.37
Total RVUs
20.85
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$696.41

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 51530 →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 51530 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 51530 covers

A urologist opens the bladder through an incision and directly excises a bladder tumor. This is an open operation performed in a surgical facility, with the removed tissue available for pathologic examination. It is distinct from treating a tumor endoscopically through the urethra and bladder using a cystoscope.

Report 51530 when the operative service is excision of a bladder tumor through cystotomy; the operative report should support the approach and tumor excision performed. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this bladder procedure. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team-surgery payment 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 51530 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

51530 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$647.43
AlaskaUnavailable$906.40
ArizonaUnavailable$682.17
ArkansasUnavailable$641.42
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$712.37
Austin, TXUnavailable$701.91
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$700.90
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$731.21
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$675.01
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$685.61

51530 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
51530 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 51530 rate is calculated

Each of 51530’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 · 51530

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work13.37

13.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense5.76

5.76 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.72

1.72 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

20.8500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$696.41

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 51530

51530 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 51530

Bladder tumor excision, open cystotomy approach

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)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
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 · 51530

Bladder tumor excision, open cystotomy 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.

  • 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 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

51530 without 51 · national facility

$696.41

Bladder tumor excision, open cystotomy approach

51530-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$348.21

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%).

When to use modifier 51

51530 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 51530

    Bladder tumor excision, open cystotomy approach13.37 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 51520

    Bladder diverticulectomy, via cystotomy9.95 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 51525

    Bladder surgery, diverticulum excision15.03 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 51550

    Partial cystectomy, simple excision16.8 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 52235

    Bladder tumor resection, medium, 2.0–5.0 cm5.3 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

51520Bladder diverticulectomyVia cystotomy
51520 is for excision of a bladder diverticulum. Use 51530 for excision of a bladder tumor through cystotomy.
51525Bladder surgeryDiverticulum excision
51525 addresses bladder diverticulum excision with bladder-neck resection; 51530 addresses tumor excision.
51550Partial cystectomySimple excision
51550 describes partial removal of the bladder. 51530 describes tumor excision through cystotomy without coding the service as a partial cystectomy.
52235Bladder tumor resectionMedium, 2.0–5.0 cm
52235 is for cystoscopic, transurethral treatment of a medium bladder tumor. 51530 uses an open cystotomy approach.

Codes related to 51530

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

Codes related to 51530
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
52234Bladder tumor treatment, tumor 0.5 to 2.0 cmTransurethral treatment alternative for small bladder tumors.No office rate
52235Bladder tumor resection, medium, 2.0–5.0 cmTransurethral treatment alternative for medium bladder tumors.No office rate
52240Bladder tumor treatment, large tumor categoryTransurethral treatment alternative for large bladder tumors.No office rate
51550Partial cystectomy, simple excisionPartial cystectomy when the operation removes part of the bladder.No office rate

51530 billing questions

How does 51530 differ from transurethral bladder tumor codes?

51530 describes direct excision through an open bladder incision. Codes 52234, 52235, and 52240 describe cystoscopic, transurethral treatment, with the applicable code selected by tumor size.

Does 51530 include treatment performed through a cystoscope?

No. The defining approach is open cystotomy with direct tumor excision; a transurethral procedure is reported with the applicable endoscopic code instead.

What documentation supports reporting 51530?

The operative report should identify the open approach, the bladder tumor, and the excision performed. It should distinguish tumor excision from removal of a diverticulum or partial cystectomy.

Can modifier 50 be reported?

No. Bilateral adjustment is inappropriate for this bladder procedure.

How does the multiple-procedure rule affect payment?

For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team-surgery payment 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
RVUs for 51530PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,029 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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