CPT code 57455: Cervical biopsy, colposcopy-guided biopsy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Maryland
Report this service when colposcopy is used to examine the cervix and obtain one or more targeted cervical tissue biopsies, without endocervical curettage.
Medicare pays $161.66–$180.83 for 57455 in the office in Maryland, from Rest of Maryland to Washington, DC area. 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 57455 covers
During colposcopy, a gynecologist or other qualified women's health clinician examines the cervix under magnification, often after applying a solution that helps highlight abnormal areas. The clinician takes one or more tissue samples from suspicious cervical sites for pathology. This service is commonly performed in an office or outpatient setting after an abnormal cervical screening result or a concerning cervical finding.
Report 57455 once for the colposcopy session with cervical biopsy, regardless of the number of biopsy sites. The record should support the indication, colposcopic findings, sampled cervical sites, and specimen submission. When endocervical curettage is also performed, 57454 represents the combination; 57456 describes endocervical curettage without cervical biopsy. The procedure has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. If related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy family pricing applies. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeon and team-surgery payment 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 57455 pays more and less in Maryland
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$161.66 to $180.83
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore area, MD | $171.02 | $101.85 |
| Rest of Maryland | $161.66 | $96.43 |
| Washington, DC area | $180.83 | $104.89 |
How the 57455 rate is calculated
Each of 57455’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 · 57455
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.94
1.94 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.52
2.52 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.36
0.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.8200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$160.99
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 57455
The CMS indicators that decide how 57455 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 57455
Cervical biopsy, colposcopy-guided 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 | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| 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
57455 without 51 · national office
$160.99
Cervical biopsy, colposcopy-guided biopsy
57455-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$80.50
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%).
57455 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 57452ColposcopyCervix, no tissue sampling
- 57452 is for colposcopic examination without cervical biopsy. Report 57455 when the clinician also samples cervical tissue.
- 57454Cervical colposcopyBiopsy and endocervical curettage
- 57454 includes both cervical biopsy and endocervical curettage. Use 57455 when cervical biopsy is performed without that curettage.
- 57456Cervical colposcopyEndocervical curettage
- 57456 describes colposcopy with endocervical curettage but no cervical biopsy. 57455 is for cervical biopsy without endocervical curettage.
- 57460Cervical LEEP biopsyLoop biopsy, not cone excision
- 57460 describes colposcopy with loop-electrode cervical biopsy. 57455 is used for cervical biopsy without that loop-electrode method.
57455 billing questions
When should 57455 be chosen instead of 57452?
Use 57455 when the colposcopy includes one or more cervical tissue biopsies. Use 57452 for the colposcopic examination without biopsy.
Can 57455 be reported when endocervical curettage is also performed?
When cervical biopsy and endocervical curettage are both performed during the session, use 57454 for the combined service. Endocervical curettage alone is described by 57456.
Is 57455 reported once for multiple cervical biopsy sites?
Yes. Report one unit for the colposcopy session with cervical biopsy; the number of cervical sites sampled does not create additional units.
Can modifier 50 be used for biopsies on both sides of the cervix?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, even when biopsies are taken from more than one cervical site.
What same-day care is included in 57455?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. The colposcopic examination is part of the biopsy service.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be paid for 57455?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted for this service. 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
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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