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Billing code 51605: Bladder study prepMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports preparatory work for bladder radiography, distinct from the contrast-injection service used to perform cystography or urethrocystography.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities14 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $35.07 for 51605 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 51605

Bladder study prep

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
0.62
Total RVUs
1.05
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$35.07

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 51605 → · 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 51605 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 51605 covers

billing code 51605 covers preparation for a bladder radiographic examination. It is associated with cystography and related studies in which contrast is introduced into the urinary tract for imaging. Urologists and radiologists may perform or oversee this work in an imaging department, hospital, or office setting. The service is preparation, not the radiographic interpretation or the contrast-injection procedure itself.

Report 51605 when the record supports that the preparation service was performed for the bladder study; document the intended examination and the work completed. Use 51600 for bladder contrast injection with catheterization, or 51610 for retrograde urethrocystography injection, as appropriate. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this service.

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 51605 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

51605 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$32.55
Alaska*Unavailable$45.16
ArizonaUnavailable$34.36
ArkansasUnavailable$32.24
AtlantaUnavailable$35.80
AustinUnavailable$35.54
BakersfieldUnavailable$35.70
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$36.83
BeaumontUnavailable$33.82
BrazoriaUnavailable$34.61

51605 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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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
51605 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 51605 rate is calculated

Each of 51605’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 · 51605

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 0.62Practice expense 0.36Malpractice 0.07

1.0500 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$35.07

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 51605

The CMS indicators that decide how 51605 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 51605

Bladder study prep

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)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
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.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

51605 without 51 · national facility

$35.07

Bladder study prep

51605-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$17.54

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

51605 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

51605 vs 51600 vs 51610 vs 74430: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 51605
    Bladder study prep · 0.62 wRVU
    —
  • 51600
    Bladder injection · 0.86 wRVU
    $207.42
  • 51610
    Bladder injection · 1.02 wRVU
    $128.26
  • 74430
    Bladder imaging · 0.31 wRVU
    $41.75

How to choose

51600Bladder injection
51605 is preparation for bladder radiography; 51600 reports bladder contrast injection and includes catheterization.
51610Bladder injection
51610 is the injection procedure for retrograde urethrocystography, not preparation for bladder imaging.
74430Bladder imaging
74430 reports the radiologic interpretation of cystography; 51605 describes preparation for the bladder examination.

Codes related to 51605

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

Codes related to 51605
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Often billed with
51600Bladder injectionBladder contrast injection, including catheterization, may accompany preparation for cystography.$181.19–$286.84
74430Bladder imagingRadiologic interpretation for cystography may be reported with the related preparation service.$36.98–$55.86
74455Voiding studyRadiologic interpretation for voiding urethrocystography may accompany related preparation.$91.83–$147.74
74450X-ray urethra/bladderRadiologic interpretation for retrograde urethrocystography may accompany related preparation.No office rate
Used instead
51610Bladder injectionUse for the retrograde urethrocystography injection procedure rather than bladder-study preparation.$113.60–$170.01

51605 billing questions

How is 51605 different from 51600?

51605 describes preparation for bladder radiography. billing code 51600 is the bladder contrast-injection procedure, including catheterization.

Should 51605 be reported with the imaging interpretation?

The preparation service and the radiologist's interpretation describe different work. For example, 74430 reports cystography interpretation; document the preparation performed separately.

Can modifier 50 be used?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.

How does the multiple-procedure rule affect 51605?

When it is performed with other procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are subject to the standard reduction.

What should the record support?

Document the bladder examination being prepared for and the preparation work performed. The record should distinguish that work from contrast injection and image interpretation.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 51605, and 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 51605PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,043 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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