CPT code 57500: Cervical biopsy, tissue sampling or lesion excision2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports tissue sampling or local excision of a cervical lesion, commonly performed for evaluation of an abnormal screening result or visible cervical finding.
Medicare pays $158.82–$198.85 for 57500 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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What 57500 covers
A gynecologist or other qualified clinician removes cervical tissue for examination, often after an abnormal Pap or HPV result or when a visible cervical lesion needs evaluation. The service may involve one or multiple samples from the cervix, or local removal of a lesion; it is commonly performed in an office using a speculum and biopsy instrument. The tissue is submitted for pathology. Sampling from the endocervical canal with a curette is a different service.
Report 57500 for the cervical tissue biopsy or local lesion excision, documenting the site and procedure performed. One reporting covers single or multiple cervical biopsy samples in the same service. A 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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 57500 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
$158.82 to $198.85
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $159.41 | $68.62 |
| Chico, CA | $158.82 | $68.03 |
| El Centro, CA | $158.85 | $68.07 |
| Fresno, CA | $158.82 | $68.03 |
| Hanford, CA | $158.82 | $68.03 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $169.81 | $71.81 |
| Madera, CA | $158.82 | $68.03 |
| Marin County, CA | $194.36 | $77.56 |
| Merced, CA | $158.82 | $68.03 |
| Modesto, CA | $158.82 | $68.03 |
| Napa, CA | $183.77 | $74.60 |
| Oxnard, CA | $168.90 | $70.99 |
| Redding, CA | $158.82 | $68.03 |
| Rest of California | $158.82 | $68.03 |
| Riverside, CA | $161.08 | $70.29 |
| Sacramento, CA | $166.61 | $70.27 |
| Salinas, CA | $165.99 | $69.99 |
| San Benito County, CA | $198.85 | $79.41 |
| San Diego, CA | $169.89 | $70.82 |
| San Francisco, CA | $194.12 | $77.33 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $163.34 | $68.99 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $197.88 | $78.43 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $171.49 | $70.85 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $166.61 | $70.03 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $173.21 | $71.49 |
| Stockton, CA | $158.82 | $68.03 |
| Vallejo, CA | $183.43 | $74.26 |
| Visalia, CA | $158.82 | $68.03 |
| Yuba City, CA | $158.82 | $68.03 |
How the 57500 rate is calculated
Each of 57500’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 · 57500
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.17
1.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.15
3.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.21
0.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.5300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$151.31
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 57500
The CMS indicators that decide how 57500 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 57500
Cervical biopsy, tissue sampling or lesion excision
| 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
57500 without 51 · national office
$151.31
Cervical biopsy, tissue sampling or lesion excision
57500-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$75.66
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%).
57500 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 57505Cervical samplingEndocervical canal
- Use 57500 for cervical tissue biopsy or local lesion excision. Use 57505 when the specimen is obtained by curettage from the endocervical canal.
- 57455Cervical biopsyColposcopy-guided biopsy
- This colposcopy service includes cervical biopsy. Do not separately report 57500 for biopsy already included in the colposcopy service.
- 57520Cervical coneNon-loop excision
- 57520 is for cervical conization, a more extensive excisional procedure. Use 57500 for a cervical biopsy or local lesion excision rather than a cone procedure.
- 57510Cervical cauteryNoncryo, nonlaser method
- 57510 describes cauterization of the cervix. It is a treatment procedure, while 57500 obtains tissue or locally excises a lesion.
57500 billing questions
How does 57500 differ from endocervical curettage?
57500 reports tissue biopsy or local lesion excision from the cervix. Use 57505 for curettage sampling of the endocervical canal.
Can 57500 be reported with a colposcopy code?
When the colposcopy service includes cervical biopsy, such as 57455, do not separately report 57500 for that same biopsy.
How many units are reported for multiple cervical samples?
Report 57500 once for single or multiple cervical biopsy samples performed in the same service.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for biopsies from both sides of the cervix?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; report the service without modifier 50.
What documentation supports 57500?
Document the cervical site sampled or lesion removed and the procedure performed. Pathology submission supports that tissue was obtained for examination.
How does the 0-day global period affect same-day care?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure. The global period is 0 days.
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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