CPT code 57420: Vaginal colposcopy, without vaginal biopsy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Colposcopic inspection of vaginal mucosa without tissue sampling, typically used to evaluate abnormal vaginal cytology or a visible vaginal lesion.
Medicare pays $141.09–$172.06 for 57420 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 9 sections
What 57420 covers
Code 57420 represents magnified inspection of vaginal mucosa with a colposcope, without tissue sampling. Gynecologists commonly perform it in an office or outpatient setting to assess abnormal vaginal cytology or a visible lesion, including possible vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia. Document the indication, areas examined, adequacy of visualization, and findings.
Report this code when the colposcopic assessment is directed to the vagina and no vaginal biopsy is taken. If vaginal tissue is biopsied during colposcopy, use 57421. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are reduced to 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeon 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.
Where 57420 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 payment localities
$141.09 to $172.06
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $141.93 | $80.06 |
| Chico, CA | $141.09 | $79.23 |
| El Centro, CA | $141.14 | $79.28 |
| Fresno, CA | $141.09 | $79.23 |
| Hanford, CA | $141.09 | $79.23 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $150.20 | $83.42 |
| Madera, CA | $141.09 | $79.23 |
| Marin County, CA | $168.09 | $88.50 |
| Merced, CA | $141.09 | $79.23 |
| Modesto, CA | $141.09 | $79.23 |
| Napa, CA | $159.97 | $85.57 |
| Oxnard, CA | $149.03 | $82.31 |
| Redding, CA | $141.09 | $79.23 |
| Rest of California | $141.09 | $79.23 |
| Riverside, CA | $144.32 | $82.46 |
| Sacramento, CA | $147.14 | $81.49 |
| Salinas, CA | $146.58 | $81.16 |
| San Benito County, CA | $172.06 | $90.66 |
| San Diego, CA | $149.38 | $81.87 |
| San Francisco, CA | $167.75 | $88.16 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $144.34 | $80.05 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $170.67 | $89.27 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $150.29 | $81.70 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $146.95 | $81.13 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $151.74 | $82.42 |
| Stockton, CA | $141.09 | $79.23 |
| Vallejo, CA | $159.48 | $85.08 |
| Visalia, CA | $141.09 | $79.23 |
| Yuba City, CA | $141.09 | $79.23 |
How the 57420 rate is calculated
Each of 57420’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 · 57420
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.56
1.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.26
2.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.30
0.30 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.1200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$137.61
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 57420
The CMS indicators that decide how 57420 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 57420
Vaginal colposcopy, without vaginal biopsy
| 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
57420 without 51 · national office
$137.61
Vaginal colposcopy, without vaginal biopsy
57420-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$68.81
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%).
57420 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 57421ColposcopyEntire vagina with biopsy
- 57420 is vaginal colposcopy without vaginal biopsy. Use 57421 when vaginal tissue is biopsied during the examination.
- 57452ColposcopyCervix, no tissue sampling
- 57420 is directed to vaginal assessment; 57452 is colposcopy directed to the cervix, including adjacent areas.
- 57455Cervical biopsyColposcopy-guided biopsy
- 57455 is cervical colposcopy with biopsy. It is not the vaginal colposcopy code for an examination without vaginal sampling.
- 57410Pelvic examinationUnder anesthesia
- 57410 describes a pelvic examination, while 57420 involves colposcopic inspection of vaginal mucosa.
57420 billing questions
When should 57420 be reported instead of 57421?
Use 57420 for vaginal colposcopy without vaginal tissue sampling. When a vaginal biopsy is performed during the colposcopy, report 57421.
How does 57420 differ from cervical colposcopy?
57420 describes colposcopic assessment directed to the vagina. For an examination directed to the cervix, consider the cervical colposcopy code that matches the services performed.
Is a vaginal biopsy separately reported with 57420?
When vaginal tissue is biopsied during colposcopy, 57421 describes the vaginal colposcopy with biopsy; do not report 57420 for that same service.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral vaginal colposcopy?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 is not appropriate.
What same-day payment rules affect 57420?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. In a session with multiple procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are reduced to 50%; assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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
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