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Billing code 50547: Donor nephrectomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports laparoscopic removal and preparation of a living donor kidney for transplantation, performed by a surgeon during donor procurement.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.6K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,540.12 for 50547 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 50547

Donor nephrectomy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
25.68
Total RVUs
46.11
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,540.12

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 50547 → · 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 50547 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 50547 covers

This service covers laparoscopic surgery to procure a kidney from a living donor for transplantation, including preparing the kidney for the transplant. A urologist or transplant surgeon typically performs it in a hospital operating room. The code describes work on the donor; it does not represent implantation into the recipient.

Report it when the operative record supports living-donor procurement by laparoscopy, rather than removal for treatment of the donor’s kidney disease. The major-surgery global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For eligible procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 identifies a bilateral procedure, paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require 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 50547 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

50547 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,389.69
Alaska*Unavailable$1,905.01
ArizonaUnavailable$1,495.15
ArkansasUnavailable$1,371.40
AtlantaUnavailable$1,592.60
AustinUnavailable$1,545.16
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,519.28
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,638.22
BeaumontUnavailable$1,482.71
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,496.37

50547 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
50547 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 50547 rate is calculated

Each of 50547’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 · 50547

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 25.68Practice expense 14.12Malpractice 6.31

46.1100 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,540.12

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 50547

50547 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 50547

Donor nephrectomy

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)0.08/0.83/0.09Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 50547

Donor nephrectomy

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

50547 without 50 · national facility

$1,540.12

Donor nephrectomy

50547-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$2,310.18

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

50547 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

50547 vs 50300 vs 50546 vs 50545 vs 50548: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 50547
    Donor nephrectomy · 25.68 wRVU
    —
  • 50300
    · 0 wRVU
    —
  • 50546
    Nephrectomy · 21.32 wRVU
    —
  • 50545
    Radical nephrectomy · 24.43 wRVU
    —
  • 50548
    Nephroureterectomy · 24.73 wRVU
    —

How to choose

50300Remove cadaver donor kidney
Both describe living-donor kidney procurement. Use 50300 for the open approach; use 50547 when procurement is performed laparoscopically.
50546Nephrectomy
50546 describes laparoscopic kidney removal for a non-donor clinical indication. Use 50547 when the kidney is procured from a living donor for transplantation.
50545Radical nephrectomy
50545 is for laparoscopic radical kidney removal for disease. It is not the donor-procurement service represented by 50547.
50548Nephroureterectomy
50548 describes laparoscopic removal of a kidney with the ureter for a clinical indication; 50547 identifies living-donor kidney procurement.

Codes related to 50547

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

Codes related to 50547
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
50300Remove cadaver donor kidneyOpen approach to living-donor kidney procurement rather than laparoscopic procurement.No office rate
50546NephrectomyLaparoscopic kidney removal for a clinical indication rather than living-donor transplantation.No office rate
50545Radical nephrectomyLaparoscopic radical kidney removal for disease, rather than donor procurement.No office rate
50548NephroureterectomyLaparoscopic kidney and ureter removal for a clinical indication, rather than donor procurement.No office rate

50547 billing questions

How does this differ from a routine laparoscopic nephrectomy?

Use this code for laparoscopic kidney procurement from a living donor for transplantation. A nephrectomy performed to treat the donor’s disease is a different service.

Does the code include preparation of the donor kidney?

Yes. Kidney preparation for transplantation is part of the donor procurement service represented by this code.

Does this code describe the recipient’s transplant operation?

No. It reports the donor-side procurement operation, not implantation of the kidney into the recipient.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

The operative report should establish that the patient was a living donor and that the kidney was removed laparoscopically for transplantation. It should also describe the procurement and preparation performed.

How are assistants and co-surgeons handled?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

What payment rules affect this service?

The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard reduction; a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.

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 50547PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,937 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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