Billing code 51710: Tube changeMedicare rate & RVUs
Reports a complicated exchange of an established cystostomy tube, such as a suprapubic catheter, rather than routine tube replacement or new catheter insertion.
Medicare pays $140.62 for 51710 nationally in the office and $73.15 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $125.05–$182.99.
Medicare rate · 51710
Tube change
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
- Work RVUs
- 1.32
- Total RVUs
- 4.21
- Global days
- 000
National rate · 2026
$140.62
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 51710 → · 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
What 51710 covers
This service covers exchanging a tube through an established cystostomy tract, typically the suprapubic route into the bladder. A urologist or another qualified clinician may perform the exchange in an office or facility. The code distinguishes a complicated exchange from a routine change; it does not describe creating a new tract or inserting a temporary urethral catheter.
Report 51710 when the documented circumstances and work support a complicated exchange rather than the simple change represented by 51705. The note should identify the existing cystostomy, the reason the exchange was complicated, and the work performed. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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 51710 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
$125.05 to $182.99
109 of 109 payment localities
51710 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.
$125.05
$166.02
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $166.02 | 1 |
| AL | $126.80 | 1 |
| AR | $125.05 | 1 |
| AZ | $136.98 | 1 |
| CA | $147.45–$182.99 | 29 |
| CO | $145.72 | 1 |
| CT | $149.69 | 1 |
| DC | $159.81 | 1 |
| DE | $139.17 | 1 |
| FL | $139.48–$153.02 | 3 |
| GA | $131.90–$143.34 | 2 |
| GU | $150.67 | 1 |
| HI | $150.67 | 1 |
| IA | $129.47 | 1 |
| ID | $130.36 | 1 |
| IL | $135.91–$148.73 | 4 |
| IN | $131.07 | 1 |
| KS | $129.08 | 1 |
| KY | $130.05 | 1 |
| LA | $129.93–$136.03 | 2 |
| MA | $144.99–$159.43 | 2 |
| MD | $141.68–$159.81 | 3 |
| ME | $131.20–$137.70 | 2 |
| MI | $133.45–$141.33 | 2 |
| MN | $139.26 | 1 |
| MO | $127.93–$136.27 | 3 |
| MS | $126.51 | 1 |
| MT | $140.61 | 1 |
| NC | $132.48 | 1 |
| ND | $137.24 | 1 |
| NE | $130.09 | 1 |
| NH | $143.63 | 1 |
| NJ | $151.29–$158.32 | 2 |
| NM | $134.22 | 1 |
| NV | $139.76 | 1 |
| NY | $134.39–$165.48 | 5 |
| OH | $132.76 | 1 |
| OK | $129.63 | 1 |
| OR | $138.57–$149.95 | 2 |
| PA | $132.86–$146.23 | 2 |
| PR | $141.53 | 1 |
| RI | $143.84 | 1 |
| SC | $132.86 | 1 |
| SD | $136.85 | 1 |
| TN | $129.72 | 1 |
| TX | $132.04–$145.33 | 8 |
| UT | $134.59 | 1 |
| VA | $137.40–$159.81 | 2 |
| VI | $141.53 | 1 |
| VT | $136.90 | 1 |
| WA | $144.65–$162.41 | 2 |
| WI | $132.87 | 1 |
| WV | $131.16 | 1 |
| WY | $139.14 | 1 |
How the 51710 rate is calculated
Each of 51710’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 · 51710
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.32Practice expense 2.72Malpractice 0.17
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 51710
The CMS indicators that decide how 51710 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 51710
Tube change
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
51710 without 51 · national office
$140.62
Tube change
51710-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$70.31
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%).
51710 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
51710 vs 51705 vs 51702 vs 51703: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 51705Catheter exchange
- Both describe changing a cystostomy tube. Choose 51705 for a simple change and 51710 when the documented exchange is complicated.
- 51702Bladder catheter
- 51702 describes insertion of a temporary bladder catheter; 51710 is for exchanging a tube through an established cystostomy tract.
- 51703Bladder catheter
- 51703 describes complex bladder catheter insertion. It is not the code for a complicated exchange of an established cystostomy tube.
51710 billing questions
When should 51710 be chosen over 51705?
Use 51710 when the cystostomy tube exchange is complicated, as supported by the documented circumstances and work. A routine simple tube change is reported with 51705.
Does 51710 describe placement of a new catheter?
No. It describes changing a tube through an established cystostomy tract. Temporary urethral catheter insertion is a different service.
What documentation supports reporting the complicated service?
Document the established cystostomy, why the exchange was complicated, and the work performed. The note should make clear why the service was not a routine simple change.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral tube changes?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
How does the multiple-procedure rule affect payment?
For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, 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
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