CPT code 51701: Bladder catheterization, in-and-out catheter2026 Medicare rate & RVUs
Reports temporary straight catheterization to drain the bladder, obtain urine, or assess residual urine when catheter-based measurement is performed.
Medicare pays $45.43 for 51701 nationally in the office and $22.04 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $40.52–$57.95.
Medicare rate · 51701
Bladder catheterization, in-and-out catheter
- Work RVUs
- 0.49
- Total RVUs
- 1.36
- Global days
- 000
National rate · 2026
$45.43
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 51701 →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 51701 covers
A straight catheter is passed through the urethra into the bladder to drain urine and then removed. Common situations include obtaining a urine specimen when a clean-catch sample is not feasible and measuring postvoid residual urine by drainage. Urologists and other clinicians use this service in office, emergency, and facility settings.
Choose this code for temporary in-and-out catheterization, rather than placement of a catheter intended to remain in the bladder or a technically difficult insertion. Document the clinical reason, that the catheter was removed after drainage, and the specimen or urine-volume result when relevant. The service has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. 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 single-bladder service. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons and team surgery 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 51701 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
$40.52 to $57.95
109 of 109 payment localities
51701 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.
$40.52
$54.30
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 | $54.30 | 1 |
| AL | $41.07 | 1 |
| AR | $40.52 | 1 |
| AZ | $44.26 | 1 |
| CA | $47.18–$57.95 | 29 |
| CO | $46.82 | 1 |
| CT | $48.30 | 1 |
| DC | $51.33 | 1 |
| DE | $44.95 | 1 |
| FL | $45.43–$50.10 | 3 |
| GA | $42.99–$46.37 | 2 |
| GU | $48.10 | 1 |
| HI | $48.10 | 1 |
| IA | $41.74 | 1 |
| ID | $42.06 | 1 |
| IL | $44.42–$48.70 | 4 |
| IN | $42.27 | 1 |
| KS | $41.70 | 1 |
| KY | $42.26 | 1 |
| LA | $42.25–$44.17 | 2 |
| MA | $46.63–$51.02 | 2 |
| MD | $45.72–$51.33 | 3 |
| ME | $42.40–$44.32 | 2 |
| MI | $43.40–$46.09 | 2 |
| MN | $44.55 | 1 |
| MO | $41.68–$44.15 | 3 |
| MS | $41.10 | 1 |
| MT | $45.42 | 1 |
| NC | $42.79 | 1 |
| ND | $44.04 | 1 |
| NE | $41.91 | 1 |
| NH | $46.23 | 1 |
| NJ | $48.76–$50.89 | 2 |
| NM | $43.68 | 1 |
| NV | $45.06 | 1 |
| NY | $43.39–$53.53 | 5 |
| OH | $43.12 | 1 |
| OK | $42.04 | 1 |
| OR | $44.62–$48.05 | 2 |
| PA | $43.11–$47.27 | 2 |
| PR | $45.68 | 1 |
| RI | $46.37 | 1 |
| SC | $43.04 | 1 |
| SD | $43.87 | 1 |
| TN | $41.91 | 1 |
| TX | $42.85–$46.74 | 8 |
| UT | $43.58 | 1 |
| VA | $44.28–$51.33 | 2 |
| VI | $45.68 | 1 |
| VT | $44.00 | 1 |
| WA | $46.50–$51.88 | 2 |
| WI | $42.69 | 1 |
| WV | $42.93 | 1 |
| WY | $44.82 | 1 |
How the 51701 rate is calculated
Each of 51701’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 · 51701
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.49
0.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.80
0.80 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.07
0.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.3600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$45.43
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 51701
The CMS indicators that decide how 51701 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 51701
Bladder catheterization, in-and-out catheter
| 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
51701 without 51 · national office
$45.43
Bladder catheterization, in-and-out catheter
51701-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$22.72
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%).
51701 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 51702Bladder catheterTemporary indwelling placement
- Use 51701 when the catheter is removed after drainage. Use 51702 when a temporary catheter is left in place.
- 51703Bladder catheterComplicated insertion
- 51703 represents complex catheter insertion; 51701 describes the in-and-out service without that complexity distinction.
- 51798Bladder scanPost-void residual or bladder capacity
- 51798 measures bladder volume noninvasively by ultrasound. This code involves passing a catheter into the bladder to drain urine.
51701 billing questions
How does this differ from 51702?
This code describes a catheter that is removed after drainage. Use 51702 when a temporary indwelling catheter is placed to remain in the bladder.
When is 51703 more appropriate?
51703 is for a complex catheter insertion. Do not select it solely because the patient has urinary retention; the documentation must support the complexity of the insertion.
Can this code be used to measure postvoid residual?
Yes, when residual urine is assessed by catheter drainage. For a noninvasive ultrasound measurement of bladder volume, compare 51798.
Should modifier 50 be appended for a catheterization?
No. The bladder is a single organ for this service, and bilateral adjustment is not appropriate.
What should the record show?
Document the indication, temporary catheter placement and removal, and the urine specimen or drained volume when applicable. These details distinguish in-and-out catheterization from indwelling placement.
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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