Billing code 50592: Renal tumor ablationMedicare rate & RVUs

Report this service when a clinician treats a renal tumor percutaneously by applying radiofrequency energy through an image-guided probe.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.5K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $2,621.97 for 50592 nationally in the office and $297.60 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $2,274.44–$3,689.14.

Medicare rate · 50592

Renal tumor ablation

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
6.39
Total RVUs
78.50
Global days
010

National rate · 2026

$2,621.97

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 50592 → · 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 50592 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 50592 covers

An interventional radiologist or urologist places an electrode through the skin into a renal tumor and applies radiofrequency energy to destroy it. Imaging guides probe placement and treatment. The procedure is commonly performed in a hospital interventional radiology or operating-room setting. It provides local treatment for selected renal masses when a percutaneous approach is chosen instead of surgical excision. Unlike laparoscopic ablation, access is through the skin rather than ports and direct operative exposure.

Report 50592 for percutaneous radiofrequency treatment of renal tumor(s), not for cryoablation or laparoscopic treatment. The procedure record should identify the renal target and side, percutaneous approach, radiofrequency technique, and treatment performed. CMS assigns a 10-day minor-procedure global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. For same-session procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Bilateral treatment with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery; 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 50592 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

$2274.44 to $3689.14

$2274.44$2981.79$3689.14
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

50592 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$2,313.78$279.96
Alaska*$2,873.40$397.94
Arizona$2,544.70$292.39
Arkansas$2,274.44$277.81
Atlanta$2,665.41$303.85
Austin$2,758.13$298.95
Bakersfield$2,846.02$298.51
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$2,804.99$310.94
Beaumont$2,405.64$290.46
Brazoria$2,597.14$293.69

50592 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.

$2,274.44

$3,266.52

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

View every state and territory as a table
50592 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$2,873.401
AL$2,313.781
AR$2,274.441
AZ$2,544.701
CA$2,843.91–$3,689.1429
CO$2,772.161
CT$2,814.761
DC$3,060.721
DE$2,592.081
FL$2,528.60–$2,755.013
GA$2,368.76–$2,665.412
GU$2,939.081
HI$2,939.081
IA$2,405.311
ID$2,418.991
IL$2,427.41–$2,705.664
IN$2,435.981
KS$2,381.531
KY$2,355.221
LA$2,346.67–$2,484.362
MA$2,747.14–$3,090.972
MD$2,650.84–$3,060.723
ME$2,422.42–$2,592.002
MI$2,417.41–$2,554.292
MN$2,674.931
MO$2,292.17–$2,507.513
MS$2,284.371
MT$2,621.921
NC$2,453.821
ND$2,608.281
NE$2,423.951
NH$2,716.901
NJ$2,852.21–$3,018.662
NM$2,428.611
NV$2,620.511
NY$2,495.85–$3,106.245
OH$2,414.621
OK$2,361.581
OR$2,605.58–$2,884.282
PA$2,425.09–$2,728.072
PR$2,647.871
RI$2,702.261
SC$2,437.221
SD$2,606.671
TN$2,394.221
TX$2,405.64–$2,758.138
UT$2,476.491
VA$2,574.64–$3,060.722
VI$2,647.871
VT$2,586.731
WA$2,745.67–$3,169.932
WI$2,505.831
WV$2,319.401
WY$2,615.981

How the 50592 rate is calculated

Each of 50592’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 · 50592

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 6.39Practice expense 71.42Malpractice 0.69

78.5000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$2,621.97

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 50592

50592 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 50592

Renal tumor ablation

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period010Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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)0.10/0.80/0.10Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 50592

Renal tumor ablation

10-day global period ends

Oct 11, 2026

Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.

SurgeryVisit
Sep 28, 2026Oct 14, 2026

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

50592 without 50 · national office

$2,621.97

Renal tumor ablation

50592-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$3,932.95

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

50592 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

50592 vs 50593 vs 50542 vs 50543: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 50592
    Renal tumor ablation · 6.39 wRVU
    $2,621.97
  • 50593
    Renal ablation · 8.66 wRVU
    $3,506.43+$884.46
  • 50542
    Renal mass ablation · 20.83 wRVU
    —
  • 50543
    Partial nephrectomy · 26.72 wRVU
    —

How to choose

50593Renal ablation
Both treat renal tumors percutaneously, but 50592 uses radiofrequency energy and 50593 uses cryoablation.
50542Renal mass ablation
50592 uses percutaneous access; 50542 is laparoscopic renal mass ablation.
50543Partial nephrectomy
50592 destroys a tumor with percutaneous radiofrequency energy; 50543 is laparoscopic partial nephrectomy, which removes part of the kidney.

50592 billing questions

When should 50592 be chosen instead of 50593?

Use 50592 for percutaneous renal tumor ablation with radiofrequency energy. Use 50593 when the percutaneous ablation method is cryoablation.

How does 50592 differ from laparoscopic renal ablation?

50592 describes treatment through the skin with a percutaneous probe. Code 50542 is for laparoscopic ablation using operative access.

Can imaging guidance be reported separately?

Imaging is used to guide probe placement and treatment, but the guidance integral to the renal ablation is not separately reported.

How is bilateral treatment reported?

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

Are postoperative visits included?

Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure payment.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this procedure?

CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for 50592. 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 50592PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,953 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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