CPT code 57288: Sling procedure, stress-incontinence sling2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 57288 in California.

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

What 57288 covers

A surgeon places a sling beneath the urethra to provide support and reduce urine leakage with coughing, lifting, or other exertion. The sling may use the patient’s tissue or synthetic material. Urogynecologists and urologists commonly perform this operation in an operating room for patients with stress urinary incontinence. CPT 57288 identifies the sling operation; it is not the code for repair of an isolated bladder-wall defect.

Report the procedure when the operative note supports sling placement for stress incontinence, including the approach and material used. The service has a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery 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 57288 pays more and less in California

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

29 of 29 payment localities

How the 57288 rate is calculated

Each of 57288’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 57288

57288 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

57288 compared with similar codes

How to choose

57287Sling revisionRemoval or revision

Use 57288 for placement of a sling to treat stress incontinence. Use 57287 for revision or removal of a previously placed sling.

51992Urinary slingLaparoscopic approach

Both describe sling surgery for stress incontinence; 51992 identifies a laparoscopic operation, while 57288 is the sling procedure reported under its own code.

51715Urethral bulkingBladder neck or urethra

51715 reports urethral bulking by injection, not placement of a supporting sling.

57240Anterior repairAnterior compartment only

57240 addresses repair of the anterior vaginal wall, such as for a cystocele; it does not describe sling placement for stress incontinence.

Codes related to 57288

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates