CPT code 51700: Bladder irrigation, simple lavage or instillation2026 Medicare rate & RVUs
Report simple bladder irrigation when a clinician lavages the bladder or instills fluid, such as to clear clots through a urinary catheter.
Medicare pays $78.16 for 51700 nationally in the office and $26.05 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $69.11–$104.04.
Medicare rate · 51700
Bladder irrigation, simple lavage or instillation
- Work RVUs
- 0.59
- Total RVUs
- 2.34
- Global days
- 000
National rate · 2026
$78.16
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 51700 →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.
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On this page 10 sections
What 51700 covers
This service involves flushing the bladder with fluid or instilling fluid through a urinary catheter. A urologist or another clinician may perform it in an office or facility to clear blood clots or debris, or to address a catheter that is not draining because of material in the bladder. The work is irrigation itself, rather than catheter placement alone.
Document the reason for irrigation, the method or catheter used, and the service performed, including the material flushed or instilled and the patient’s response when relevant. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When it is performed in the same session as other procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are 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 51700 pays more and less
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
109 payment localities
$69.11 to $104.04
109 of 109 payment localities
51700 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.
$69.11
$93.42
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $90.61 | 1 |
| AL | $70.13 | 1 |
| AR | $69.11 | 1 |
| AZ | $76.08 | 1 |
| CA | $82.80–$104.04 | 29 |
| CO | $81.47 | 1 |
| CT | $83.36 | 1 |
| DC | $89.47 | 1 |
| DE | $77.35 | 1 |
| FL | $76.87–$84.03 | 3 |
| GA | $72.55–$79.58 | 2 |
| GU | $84.86 | 1 |
| HI | $84.86 | 1 |
| IA | $71.98 | 1 |
| ID | $72.44 | 1 |
| IL | $74.59–$81.62 | 4 |
| IN | $72.86 | 1 |
| KS | $71.61 | 1 |
| KY | $71.73 | 1 |
| LA | $71.61–$75.17 | 2 |
| MA | $80.97–$89.59 | 2 |
| MD | $78.84–$89.47 | 3 |
| ME | $72.79–$76.79 | 2 |
| MI | $73.58–$77.80 | 2 |
| MN | $78.14 | 1 |
| MO | $70.35–$75.47 | 3 |
| MS | $69.75 | 1 |
| MT | $78.15 | 1 |
| NC | $73.55 | 1 |
| ND | $76.77 | 1 |
| NE | $72.38 | 1 |
| NH | $80.17 | 1 |
| NJ | $84.34–$88.54 | 2 |
| NM | $73.97 | 1 |
| NV | $77.82 | 1 |
| NY | $74.66–$92.03 | 5 |
| OH | $73.29 | 1 |
| OK | $71.63 | 1 |
| OR | $77.24–$84.10 | 2 |
| PA | $73.43–$81.26 | 2 |
| PR | $78.74 | 1 |
| RI | $80.13 | 1 |
| SC | $73.54 | 1 |
| SD | $76.61 | 1 |
| TN | $71.97 | 1 |
| TX | $72.94–$81.19 | 8 |
| UT | $74.55 | 1 |
| VA | $76.52–$89.47 | 2 |
| VI | $78.74 | 1 |
| VT | $76.44 | 1 |
| WA | $80.83–$91.45 | 2 |
| WI | $74.18 | 1 |
| WV | $71.81 | 1 |
| WY | $77.55 | 1 |
How the 51700 rate is calculated
Each of 51700’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 · 51700
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.59
0.59 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.68
1.68 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.07
0.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.3400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$78.16
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 51700
The CMS indicators that decide how 51700 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 51700
Bladder irrigation, simple lavage or instillation
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
51700 without 51 · national office
$78.16
Bladder irrigation, simple lavage or instillation
51700-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$39.08
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%).
51700 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 51701Bladder catheterizationIn-and-out catheter
- 51701 represents non-indwelling bladder catheter insertion. Choose 51700 when the documented service is bladder lavage or fluid instillation.
- 51702Bladder catheterTemporary indwelling placement
- 51702 represents insertion of a temporary indwelling catheter. It is not a substitute for documenting irrigation performed through a catheter.
- 51703Bladder catheterComplicated insertion
- 51703 is for complex bladder catheter insertion. Use 51700 for simple bladder irrigation, not for insertion complexity.
- 51720Bladder instillationAntineoplastic agent
- 51720 is used for therapeutic bladder instillation to treat a lesion. Code 51700 describes irrigation or simple lavage, not that treatment service.
51700 billing questions
How is irrigation different from bladder catheter insertion?
Irrigation describes flushing or instilling fluid in the bladder; catheter insertion codes describe placing a catheter. Choose based on the service documented, not simply on the presence of a catheter.
Can catheter insertion be reported with irrigation?
The irrigation service does not by itself describe catheter insertion. If both services were performed, document each distinctly and verify that reporting both is supported by applicable coding edits.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for irrigation of both sides?
No. The bladder is not a paired structure for this service, and CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate.
What same-session payment rule applies?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures performed in the same session are paid at 50%.
Are assistant, co-surgeon, or team-surgery modifiers payable?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What documentation supports the service?
Record the clinical reason for irrigation, the catheter or method used, what was flushed or instilled, and the patient’s response when relevant.
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
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