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Billing code 49553: Femoral hernia repairMedicare rate & RVUs

Repair a first-time femoral hernia when the hernia is incarcerated or strangulated, with operative treatment of the trapped contents and femoral defect.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.9K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $608.90 for 49553 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 49553

Femoral hernia repair

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
9.67
Total RVUs
18.23
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$608.90

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 49553 → · 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.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 49553 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 49553 covers

This code describes surgical repair of a femoral hernia that is incarcerated or strangulated and has not been repaired previously. The surgeon addresses the hernia at the femoral canal, reduces the trapped contents when possible, assesses the involved tissue, and repairs the defect. These repairs are commonly performed in a hospital or other surgical facility, including when a patient presents with a painful, nonreducible groin mass or concern for compromised bowel.

Report this code when the operative record supports both the femoral location and incarcerated or strangulated status, and identifies the repair as the initial repair rather than a recurrence. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the 90-day global period. For bilateral repair, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery 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 49553 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

49553 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$547.15
Alaska*Unavailable$745.71
ArizonaUnavailable$590.52
ArkansasUnavailable$539.63
AtlantaUnavailable$630.01
AustinUnavailable$611.65
BakersfieldUnavailable$601.49
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$648.74
BeaumontUnavailable$584.77
BrazoriaUnavailable$591.15

49553 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

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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
49553 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 49553 rate is calculated

Each of 49553’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 · 49553

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 9.67Practice expense 6.04Malpractice 2.52

18.2300 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$608.90

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 49553

49553 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 49553

Femoral hernia repair

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.09/0.81/0.10Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 49553

Femoral hernia repair

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

49553 without 50 · national facility

$608.90

Femoral hernia repair

49553-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$913.35

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

49553 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

49553 vs 49550 vs 49555 vs 49557 vs 49501: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 49553
    Femoral hernia repair · 9.67 wRVU
    —
  • 49550
    Femoral hernia repair · 8.77 wRVU
    —
  • 49555
    Femoral hernia repair · 9.16 wRVU
    —
  • 49557
    Femoral hernia repair · 11.33 wRVU
    —
  • 49501
    Inguinal hernia repair · 9.13 wRVU
    —

How to choose

49550Femoral hernia repair
Both are initial femoral hernia repairs. Choose 49553 for an incarcerated or strangulated hernia and 49550 for a reducible one.
49555Femoral hernia repair
This is for a recurrent, reducible femoral hernia. 49553 is for an initial repair when the hernia is incarcerated or strangulated.
49557Femoral hernia repair
Both describe incarcerated or strangulated femoral hernia repair; 49557 is for a recurrence, while 49553 is for an initial repair.
49501Inguinal hernia repair
This describes an initial incarcerated or strangulated inguinal hernia repair. Use 49553 when the operative diagnosis and findings identify a femoral hernia.

Codes related to 49553

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

Codes related to 49553
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
49550Femoral hernia repairInitial femoral hernia repair when the hernia is reducible.No office rate
49555Femoral hernia repairRecurrent femoral hernia repair when the hernia is reducible.No office rate
49557Femoral hernia repairRecurrent femoral hernia repair when incarcerated or strangulated.No office rate
Used instead
49501Inguinal hernia repairInitial incarcerated or strangulated inguinal hernia repair; the anatomy is inguinal, not femoral.No office rate

49553 billing questions

How does this differ from 49550?

Both codes describe an initial femoral hernia repair. Use 49553 when the hernia is incarcerated or strangulated; 49550 is for a reducible femoral hernia.

Can this code be used for a recurrent femoral hernia?

No. This code is for an initial repair. A recurrent incarcerated or strangulated femoral hernia is represented by 49557.

What documentation supports reporting 49553?

The operative record should identify the femoral hernia, document its incarcerated or strangulated status, and support that this is the initial repair.

How is a bilateral repair handled?

For bilateral repair, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is 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 49553PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,834 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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