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Billing code 50500: Kidney repairMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports operative suturing of a kidney wound, such as a renal laceration, when the surgeon repairs the injured tissue rather than removing it.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities62 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,210.45 for 50500 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 50500

Kidney repair

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
20.69
Total RVUs
36.24
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,210.45

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 50500 → · 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 50500 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 50500 covers

A urologist or trauma surgeon uses this service to suture a kidney wound, commonly during an operation for a renal laceration after blunt or penetrating trauma. The repair may include control of bleeding and closure of damaged renal tissue. It is performed in the operating room when the kidney is being repaired, not removed or resected as the primary procedure.

Report the code when the operative record supports suture repair of a kidney wound or injury; distinguish that work from removal of renal tissue or closure of a fistula. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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 50500 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

50500 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,088.45
Alaska*Unavailable$1,494.80
ArizonaUnavailable$1,173.48
ArkansasUnavailable$1,073.68
AtlantaUnavailable$1,255.00
AustinUnavailable$1,210.19
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,183.49
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,289.71
BeaumontUnavailable$1,167.21
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,172.33

50500 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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
50500 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 50500 rate is calculated

Each of 50500’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 · 50500

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 20.69Practice expense 10.02Malpractice 5.53

36.2400 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,210.45

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 50500

50500 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 50500

Kidney 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)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
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)0.08/0.83/0.09Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 50500

Kidney 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 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

50500 without 51 · national facility

$1,210.45

Kidney repair

50500-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$605.23

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

50500 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

50500 vs 50520 vs 50543 vs 50220: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 50500
    Kidney repair · 20.69 wRVU
    —
  • 50520
    Fistula closure · 18.41 wRVU
    —
  • 50543
    Partial nephrectomy · 26.72 wRVU
    —
  • 50220
    Kidney removal · 18.21 wRVU
    —

How to choose

50520Fistula closure
This code closes a fistula between the kidney and skin; 50500 repairs a kidney wound or injury.
50543Partial nephrectomy
50543 describes laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, which removes renal tissue; 50500 sutures a kidney wound.
50220Kidney removal
50220 describes nephrectomy rather than sutured repair of a kidney wound.

Codes related to 50500

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

Codes related to 50500
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
50220Kidney removalMay describe removal of the kidney instead of repair when the injured organ is not preserved.No office rate
50240Kidney surgeryDescribes partial kidney removal rather than suture repair when renal tissue is excised.No office rate
50543Partial nephrectomyLaparoscopic partial nephrectomy is used for renal tissue removal, not repair of a wound.No office rate

50500 billing questions

When should this code be chosen instead of a nephrectomy code?

Use it when the surgeon sutures a kidney wound. If the operative service removes the kidney or a portion of it, select the code that describes that removal instead.

Can modifier 50 be reported for repair of both kidneys?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code because of its descriptor or anatomy.

How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?

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

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.

May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires 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 50500PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,925 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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