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

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

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality44 Medicare services in 2024

In Arkansas, Medicare pays $641.42 for 51530 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Not available in this settingOffice (non-facility)
$641.42Hospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 51530 nationwide

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

We’ll open 51530 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in Arkansas
  2. What 51530 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. 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.

How Arkansas compares for 51530

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 51530 runs from $641.42 in Arkansas to $906.40 in Alaska. Arkansas pays $641.42. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

51530 in Arkansas vs other payment areas
  1. Arkansas · this page$641.42
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$730.62+$89.20
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$761.26+$119.84
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$792.14+$150.72
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$774.89+$133.47
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$789.82+$148.40
  7. Alaska · Alaska$906.40+$264.98

Other areas in Arkansas first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

51530 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama—$647.43
ArizonaArizona—$682.17
Bakersfield, CACalifornia—$700.90
Chico, CACalifornia—$695.81
El Centro, CACalifornia—$696.10
Fresno, CACalifornia—$695.81
Hanford, CACalifornia—$695.81
Madera, CACalifornia—$695.81

51530 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

Explore a state

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

See 51530 in every payment locality

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.

The exact Arkansas inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

6,029

Code
51530
Physician work
13.37
Practice expense
5.76
Malpractice
1.72

GPCI2026.csv

7

Locality
Arkansas
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
0.859
Malpractice
0.515
Facility calculation for 51530 in Arkansas
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work13.37× 1.00013.3700
Practice expense5.76× 0.8594.9478
Malpractice1.72× 0.5150.8858
Total RVUs19.2036
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, Arkansas$641.42

Facility: (13.37 × 1 + 5.76 × 0.859 + 1.72 × 0.515) × $33.4009 = $641.42

Open 51530 in the RVU calculator

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

How 51530 has changed in Arkansas

51530 · Office / nonfacility

Rate unavailable

Effective 2026-10-01

A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release
Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01Not available in this setting$641.42RVU26D
2026-07-01Not available in this setting$641.42RVU26C
2026-04-01Not available in this setting$641.42RVU26B
2026-01-01Not available in this setting$641.42RVU26A
2025-10-01Not available in this setting$687.82RVU25D
2025-07-01Not available in this setting$687.82RVU25C
2025-04-01Not available in this setting$687.82RVU25B
2025-01-01Not available in this setting$687.82RVU25A
2024-10-01Not available in this setting$703.31RVU24D
2024-07-01Not available in this setting$703.31RVU24C
2024-04-01Not available in this setting$703.31RVU24B
2024-03-09Not available in this setting$703.31RVU24AR
2024-01-01Not available in this setting$691.83RVU24A
2023-10-01Not available in this setting$705.09RVU23D
2023-07-01Not available in this setting$705.09RVU23C
2023-04-01Not available in this setting$705.09RVU23B
2023-01-01Not available in this setting$705.09RVU23A
2022-10-01Not available in this setting$711.88RVU22D
2022-07-01Not available in this setting$711.88RVU22C
2022-04-01Not available in this setting$711.88RVU22B
2022-01-01Not available in this setting$711.88RVU22A
2021-10-01Not available in this setting$715.93RVU21D
2021-07-01Not available in this setting$715.93RVU21C
2021-04-01Not available in this setting$715.93RVU21B
2021-01-01Not available in this setting$715.93RVU21A
2020-10-01Not available in this setting$740.08RVU20D
2020-07-01Not available in this setting$740.08RVU20C
2020-04-01Not available in this setting$740.08RVU20B
2020-01-01Not available in this setting$740.08RVU20A
2019-10-01Not available in this setting$747.31RVU19D
2019-07-01Not available in this setting$747.31RVU19C
2019-04-01Not available in this setting$746.69RVU19B
2019-01-01Not available in this setting$746.69RVU19A
2018-10-01Not available in this setting$757.27RVU18D
2018-07-01Not available in this setting$757.27RVU18C
2018-04-01Not available in this setting$757.27RVU18B
2018-01-01Not available in this setting$757.27RVU18AR1
2017-10-01Not available in this setting$760.34RVU17D
2017-07-01Not available in this setting$760.34RVU17C
2017-04-01Not available in this setting$760.34RVU17B
2017-01-01Not available in this setting$760.34RVU17A
2016-10-01Not available in this setting$752.55RVU16D
2016-07-01Not available in this setting$752.55RVU16C
2016-04-01Not available in this setting$752.55RVU16B
2016-01-01Not available in this setting$752.55RVU16A
2015-10-01Not available in this setting$747.25RVU15D
2015-07-01Not available in this setting$747.25RVU15C
2015-04-01Not available in this setting$743.53RVU15B
2015-01-01Not available in this setting$743.53RVU15A
2014-10-01Not available in this setting$742.65RVU14D
2014-07-01Not available in this setting$742.65RVU14C
2014-04-01Not available in this setting$742.65RVU14B
2014-01-01Not available in this setting$742.65RVU14A
2013-10-01Not available in this setting$715.68RVU13D
2013-07-01Not available in this setting$715.68RVU13C
2013-04-01Not available in this setting$715.68RVU13B
2013-01-01Not available in this setting$715.68RVU13AR

Price 51530 for an earlier date of service

Where the Arkansas rate applies

Arkansas is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 626 cities and communities in Arkansas. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Acorn
  • Adona
  • Alexander
  • Alicia
  • Alix
  • Alleene
  • Allport
  • Alma

Browse all communities in Arkansas

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)
Geographic factors for ArkansasGPCI2026.csv, line 7 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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