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Billing code 50980: Ureter endoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports endoscopic treatment within the ureter, selected when the operative record documents a therapeutic procedure rather than diagnostic inspection alone.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $312.30 for 50980 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 50980

Ureter endoscopy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
6.67
Total RVUs
9.35
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$312.30

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 50980 → · 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 50980 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 50980 covers

A urologist uses an endoscope to inspect the ureter and treat an identified ureteral condition during the same procedure. The operative report should make clear that treatment was performed, not merely that the ureter was examined. This service is typically performed in a procedural or operating-room setting; the specific treatment and ureteral site should be documented.

Select this code when the documented service matches its therapeutic endoscopy scope, rather than a diagnostic-only or biopsy service. Record the treated finding, the work performed, and the side involved. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. 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 multiple-procedure reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; 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 50980 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

50980 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$292.23
Alaska*Unavailable$414.74
ArizonaUnavailable$306.28
ArkansasUnavailable$289.80
AtlantaUnavailable$319.71
AustinUnavailable$313.00
BakersfieldUnavailable$311.14
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$327.11
BeaumontUnavailable$304.79
BrazoriaUnavailable$307.21

50980 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
50980 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 50980 rate is calculated

Each of 50980’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 · 50980

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 6.67Practice expense 1.82Malpractice 0.86

9.3500 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$312.30

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 50980

The CMS indicators that decide how 50980 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 50980

Ureter endoscopy

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

50980 without 50 · national facility

$312.30

Ureter endoscopy

50980-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$468.45

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

50980 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

50980 vs 50951 vs 50955 vs 50976: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 50980
    Ureter endoscopy · 6.67 wRVU
    —
  • 50951
    Ureteroscopy · 5.68 wRVU
    $393.13
  • 50955
    Ureteroscopy · 6.57 wRVU
    $444.23
  • 50976
    Ureteroscopy · 8.8 wRVU
    —

How to choose

50951Ureteroscopy
50951 represents diagnostic ureter endoscopy. Report 50980 when the operative record documents treatment during the endoscopic procedure.
50955Ureteroscopy
50955 is for ureter endoscopy with biopsy. Use 50980 for a therapeutic service rather than biopsy alone.
50976Ureteroscopy
Both are therapeutic ureter endoscopy codes. Choose between them based on the specific procedure documented and the applicable code descriptor.

Codes related to 50980

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

Codes related to 50980
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
50951UreteroscopyDiagnostic ureter endoscopy when no therapeutic service is documented.$356.17–$488.85
50955UreteroscopyUreter endoscopy with biopsy when tissue sampling is the documented service.$402.77–$553.97
Same family
50957UreteroscopyRelated ureter endoscopy and treatment code; select by the specific procedure documented.$406.40–$558.82
50961UreteroscopyRelated ureter endoscopy and treatment code; distinguish by the documented procedure.$367.03–$504.02
50976UreteroscopyRelated therapeutic ureter endoscopy code; use the code matching the operative service.No office rate

50980 billing questions

When is this code selected instead of diagnostic ureter endoscopy?

Use this code when the operative record documents treatment performed during ureter endoscopy. Diagnostic inspection alone is represented by a diagnostic endoscopy code.

How does this differ from ureter endoscopy with biopsy?

Choose the biopsy code when tissue sampling is the documented service. This code represents therapeutic ureter endoscopy, not biopsy alone.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

The operative report should identify the ureteral finding, the treatment actually performed, and the side treated. Documentation of endoscopic visualization alone does not establish a therapeutic service.

How are same-session procedures paid?

CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard multiple-procedure reduction to the others. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in this code's 0-day global period.

Can modifier 50 be reported for bilateral treatment?

CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. The record should support treatment on both sides.

When is an assistant-at-surgery service payable?

CMS pays an assistant at surgery only when documentation supports medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.

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 50980PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,014 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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