CPT code 59012: Cordocentesis, prenatal fetal blood sampling2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Maryland
Percutaneous fetal umbilical cord access to collect blood before birth, reported when direct fetal blood sampling is needed for prenatal evaluation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 59012 in Maryland.
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 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 in Maryland
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore area, MD | Unavailable | $192.35 |
| Rest of Maryland | Unavailable | $178.24 |
| Washington, DC area | Unavailable | $195.46 |
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
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
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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
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%).
59012 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
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.
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
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