Billing code 50590: Kidney stone treatmentMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports external shock-wave treatment to fragment a kidney stone, typically performed by a urologist without endoscopic or percutaneous stone access.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities41.9K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $760.20 for 50590 nationally in the office and $521.05 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $683.76–$953.31.

Medicare rate · 50590

Kidney stone treatment

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
9.53
Total RVUs
22.76
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$760.20

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 50590 → · 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 50590 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 50590 covers

This service uses externally generated shock waves, directed toward a renal calculus, to break it into smaller pieces. A urologist typically performs the treatment in a hospital or ambulatory setting, using imaging to locate and target the stone. Unlike endoscopic or percutaneous stone procedures, treatment does not require access through the urinary tract or a percutaneous tract to reach the stone.

Report the service when the documented procedure is shock-wave fragmentation of a kidney stone. The record should support the treated kidney and the use of this treatment method. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For bilateral treatment, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid; 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 50590 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 payment localities

$683.76 to $953.31

$683.76$818.53$953.31
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

50590 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$692.27$483.02
Alaska*$926.97$672.27
Arizona$741.86$510.13
Arkansas$683.76$478.33
Atlanta$775.83$532.85
Austin$779.40$526.38
Bakersfield$788.67$526.56
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$804.29$547.68
Beaumont$721.21$503.59
Brazoria$750.11$513.11

50590 rates by state

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

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.

$683.76

$926.97

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
50590 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$926.971
AL$692.271
AR$683.761
AZ$741.861
CA$785.03–$953.3129
CO$780.681
CT$806.061
DC$853.381
DE$752.841
FL$763.23–$839.453
GA$724.80–$775.832
GU$797.821
HI$797.821
IA$701.361
ID$706.491
IL$748.46–$817.644
IN$709.831
KS$701.351
KY$712.221
LA$712.39–$742.142
MA$778.20–$846.492
MD$764.83–$853.383
ME$712.61–$741.442
MI$730.63–$774.362
MN$742.911
MO$703.82–$741.053
MS$693.771
MT$760.121
NC$718.521
ND$735.801
NE$703.791
NH$771.501
NJ$813.80–$847.182
NM$735.191
NV$753.741
NY$727.96–$891.545
OH$725.661
OK$708.161
OR$746.40–$799.272
PA$725.08–$790.302
PR$764.001
RI$775.041
SC$723.581
SD$732.931
TN$704.711
TX$721.21–$779.408
UT$731.971
VA$741.31–$853.382
VI$764.001
VT$735.901
WA$775.77–$859.592
WI$714.941
WV$725.411
WY$749.521

How the 50590 rate is calculated

Each of 50590’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 · 50590

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 9.53Practice expense 12.00Malpractice 1.23

22.7600 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$760.20

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 50590

50590 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 50590

Kidney stone treatment

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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
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 · 50590

Kidney stone treatment

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

50590 without 50 · national office

$760.20

Kidney stone treatment

50590-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,140.30

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

50590 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

50590 vs 52353 vs 50080 vs 50081: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 50590
    Kidney stone treatment · 9.53 wRVU
    $760.20
  • 52353
    Stone lithotripsy · 7.31 wRVU
    —
  • 50080
    Percutaneous stone removal · 12.1 wRVU
    —
  • 50081
    Kidney stone removal · 20.39 wRVU
    —

How to choose

52353Stone lithotripsy
Use 50590 for external shock-wave treatment of a kidney stone. Use 52353 when a ureteroscope is advanced through the urinary tract to fragment a stone.
50080Percutaneous stone removal
50590 fragments a kidney stone with externally applied shock waves. 50080 involves percutaneous access and stone fragmentation for a simple case.
50081Kidney stone removal
50590 uses external shock waves. 50081 is for complex percutaneous stone removal with fragmentation, using access through a percutaneous tract.

50590 billing questions

How does this differ from ureteroscopic stone treatment?

This code is for externally delivered shock waves directed at a kidney stone. Ureteroscopic treatment uses an endoscope passed through the urinary tract to reach and treat a stone.

Does the global period include routine follow-up?

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

How is bilateral treatment reported?

When both kidneys are treated, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect payment?

When procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and the others at 50%.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

CMS does not pay assistant-at-surgery services for this code. 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 50590PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,952 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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