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CPT code 59012: Cordocentesis, prenatal fetal blood sampling2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Percutaneous fetal umbilical cord access to collect blood before birth, reported when direct fetal blood sampling is needed for prenatal evaluation.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $179.70 for 59012 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 59012

Cordocentesis, prenatal fetal blood sampling

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
3.35
Total RVUs
5.38
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$179.70

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 59012 →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 59012 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 59012 covers

This service involves percutaneous access to the fetal umbilical cord before birth to collect a fetal blood specimen. It is typically performed by a maternal-fetal medicine specialist or obstetrician in a hospital or specialized prenatal procedure setting, with ultrasound localization. Cord blood may be sampled when direct evaluation is needed for concerns such as fetal anemia, alloimmunization, or fetal infection. The specimen source distinguishes this procedure from sampling amniotic fluid or placental villi, and from fetal scalp sampling during labor.

Report the service when the documented procedure includes cord puncture and fetal blood collection. The record should support the clinical indication, cord access, specimen collection, and resulting evaluation or plan. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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 59012 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

59012 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$160.07
AlaskaUnavailable$221.51
ArizonaUnavailable$173.52
ArkansasUnavailable$157.73
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$187.79
Austin, TXUnavailable$177.65
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$170.76
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$192.35
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$174.28
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$172.37

59012 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
59012 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 59012 rate is calculated

Each of 59012’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 · 59012

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work3.35

3.35 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.95

0.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.08

1.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

5.3800

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$179.70

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 59012

The CMS indicators that decide how 59012 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 59012

Cordocentesis, prenatal fetal blood sampling

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

59012 without 51 · national facility

$179.70

Cordocentesis, prenatal fetal blood sampling

59012-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$89.85

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

59012 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 59012

    Cordocentesis, prenatal fetal blood sampling3.35 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 59000

    Amniocentesis, diagnostic fluid sampling1.27 wRVU

    $119.58

  • 59015

    Chorionic villus sampling, placental tissue sampling2.15 wRVU

    $160.66

  • 59030

    Fetal blood sampling, scalp sample during labor1.94 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

59000AmniocentesisDiagnostic fluid sampling
Choose 59012 for fetal blood collected through the umbilical cord; choose 59000 when the prenatal specimen is amniotic fluid.
59015Chorionic villus samplingPlacental tissue sampling
59015 represents prenatal sampling of chorionic villi. 59012 is for blood obtained from the fetal umbilical cord.
59030Fetal blood samplingScalp sample during labor
59030 involves fetal scalp blood sampling during labor. 59012 is prenatal sampling through the umbilical cord.

Codes related to 59012

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

Codes related to 59012
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Often billed with
76946Amniocentesis guidance, ultrasound needle guidanceUltrasound guidance code for fetal cordocentesis when the guidance service is documented.$30.66–$44.12
Used instead
59000Amniocentesis, diagnostic fluid samplingUsed when prenatal diagnosis requires an amniotic-fluid specimen rather than fetal cord blood.$103.99–$146.02
59015Chorionic villus sampling, placental tissue samplingUsed for prenatal sampling of chorionic villi rather than fetal cord blood.$140.32–$198.10
59030Fetal blood sampling, scalp sample during laborFetal blood sampling from the scalp during labor, not prenatal cord puncture.No office rate

59012 billing questions

How is this different from amniocentesis?

59012 is selected when the specimen is obtained from the fetal umbilical cord. Amniocentesis obtains amniotic fluid instead.

Can ultrasound guidance be reported with this procedure?

Code 76946 describes ultrasound guidance for fetal cordocentesis. Report it when the guidance service is documented and separately reportable.

Does the 0-day global period include same-day care?

Yes. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure's 0-day global period.

Should modifier 50 be used for cord puncture?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.

When can an assistant-at-surgery be paid?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only when medical necessity is documented. 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
RVUs for 59012PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,626 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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