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CPT code 55880: Prostate HIFU, transrectal malignant tissue ablation2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation of malignant prostate tissue, a treatment performed by a urologist for prostate cancer.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.3K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $879.45 for 55880 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 55880

Prostate HIFU, transrectal malignant tissue ablation

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
17.29
Total RVUs
26.33
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$879.45

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 55880 →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 55880 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 55880 covers

Code 55880 describes treatment that uses a transrectal ultrasound probe to focus high-intensity acoustic energy on malignant prostate tissue. A urologist typically performs the procedure in a hospital or ambulatory surgical setting for prostate cancer when tissue ablation is selected rather than surgical removal. Ultrasound used to guide the HIFU treatment is part of the service described by this code.

Select the code when the documented treatment uses transrectal HIFU to ablate malignant prostate tissue; distinguish it from transurethral ultrasound ablation, cryoablation, and percutaneous electroporation by the treatment method and access route. The operative report should identify the HIFU approach, the prostate tissue treated, and the procedure performed. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily 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 55880 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

55880 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$818.89
AlaskaUnavailable$1,149.88
ArizonaUnavailable$861.74
ArkansasUnavailable$811.48
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$899.67
Austin, TXUnavailable$885.42
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$883.46
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$922.83
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$853.67
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$865.77

55880 rates by state

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

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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
55880 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 55880 rate is calculated

Each of 55880’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 · 55880

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work17.29

17.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense6.83

6.83 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice2.21

2.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

26.3300

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$879.45

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 55880

55880 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 55880

Prostate HIFU, transrectal malignant tissue ablation

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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
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 · 55880

Prostate HIFU, transrectal malignant tissue ablation

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

55880 without 51 · national facility

$879.45

Prostate HIFU, transrectal malignant tissue ablation

55880-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$439.73

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

55880 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 55880

    Prostate HIFU, transrectal malignant tissue ablation17.29 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 55873

    Prostate cryoablation, ultrasound-guided freeze treatment13.26 wRVU

    $5,691.51

  • 55877

    Prostate ablation, irreversible electroporation, percutaneous13.5 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 55881

    Prostate ablation, transurethral thermal ultrasound9.56 wRVU

    $9,270.42

  • 55882

    Prostate ablation, transurethral transducer method11.21 wRVU

    $9,636.16

How to choose

55873Prostate cryoablationUltrasound-guided freeze treatment
Choose 55880 for transrectal HIFU ablation; 55873 represents prostate cryoablation.
55877Prostate ablationIrreversible electroporation, percutaneous
55877 describes percutaneous irreversible electroporation of prostate tumor tissue, not transrectal HIFU.
55881Prostate ablationTransurethral thermal ultrasound
55881 is a transurethral thermal-ultrasound ablation service. The transrectal HIFU approach belongs to 55880.
55882Prostate ablationTransurethral transducer method
55882 describes transurethral ablation using a transducer, rather than the transrectal HIFU treatment represented by 55880.

Codes related to 55880

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

Codes related to 55880
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
55873Prostate cryoablation, ultrasound-guided freeze treatmentProstate tissue ablation using cryotherapy rather than transrectal HIFU.$4,932.04–$8,008.98
55877Prostate ablation, irreversible electroporation, percutaneousPercutaneous prostate tumor ablation using irreversible electroporation.No office rate
55881Prostate ablation, transurethral thermal ultrasoundTransurethral prostate-tissue ablation using thermal ultrasound.$7,994.07–$13,224.41
55882Prostate ablation, transurethral transducer methodTransurethral prostate-tissue ablation using a transducer.$8,312.10–$13,723.22
55866Prostatectomy, laparoscopic, radicalLaparoscopic radical prostatectomy removes the prostate rather than ablating malignant tissue.No office rate

55880 billing questions

How is 55880 different from 55881 or 55882?

55880 describes transrectal HIFU treatment. Codes 55881 and 55882 describe transurethral prostate-tissue ablation, so use the code matching the treatment route and modality documented.

Can ultrasound guidance be billed separately?

Ultrasound guidance used for the HIFU treatment is included in the service represented by 55880.

Should modifier 50 be reported for treatment of both sides?

No. CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.

What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?

Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is subject to a statutory restriction. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.

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 55880PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,396 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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