No office rate
Choose 51980 when the surgeon constructs a bladder-to-skin opening for drainage. Code 51040 describes cystostomy with drainage, a distinct procedure.
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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
51980 Vesicostomy Medicare reimbursement rates
Reports surgical creation of a bladder opening to the skin for urinary drainage, commonly used when a patient cannot empty the bladder safely through the urethra. Compare 51980 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 51980?
The service location and office or facility setting determine which base rate applies. These are the supported base rates for the 109 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Where 51980 pays more and less
Urologic surgery
About 51980: Cutaneous vesicostomy creation
Reports surgical creation of a bladder opening to the skin for urinary drainage, commonly used when a patient cannot empty the bladder safely through the urethra.
A vesicostomy creates a route from the bladder to the skin so urine can drain continuously through an abdominal opening. Pediatric urologists commonly perform the procedure for infants or children who need urinary diversion, such as when bladder outlet obstruction or impaired emptying makes urethral drainage unsuitable. The resulting opening is managed as a urinary stoma and may serve as a temporary diversion or longer-term drainage route, depending on the patient’s condition.
Report the service for creation of the cutaneous bladder opening, rather than for placement of a suprapubic drainage catheter or another form of cystostomy. The operative report should establish that a vesicostomy was constructed and describe the procedure and clinical reason for diversion. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 51980
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU12.26 · 63%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.54 · 29%
- Malpractice RVU1.57 · 8%
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.
51980 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
$215.75–$308.59
Code 51102 describes suprapubic catheter insertion using bladder aspiration. It does not represent construction of a vesicostomy.
51999
No office rateUnlisted laps px bladder
Code 51999 is for an unlisted laparoscopic bladder procedure when no specific code describes the service. It is not the specific vesicostomy code.
See how rates vary across the country
51980 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
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 all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
Compare 51980 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Office Unavailable | Facility $601.09 |
| Alaska* | Office Unavailable | Facility $840.21 |
| Arizona | Office Unavailable | Facility $633.69 |
| Arkansas | Office Unavailable | Facility $595.45 |
| Atlanta | Office Unavailable | Facility $661.70 |
| Austin | Office Unavailable | Facility $652.55 |
| Bakersfield | Office Unavailable | Facility $652.02 |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office Unavailable | Facility $679.46 |
| Beaumont | Office Unavailable | Facility $626.60 |
| Brazoria | Office Unavailable | Facility $637.05 |
| Chicago | Office Unavailable | Facility $718.68 |
| Chico | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.37 |
| Colorado | Office Unavailable | Facility $652.25 |
| Connecticut | Office Unavailable | Facility $680.43 |
| Dallas | Office Unavailable | Facility $642.47 |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office Unavailable | Facility $707.95 |
| Delaware | Office Unavailable | Facility $641.51 |
| Detroit | Office Unavailable | Facility $676.47 |
| East St. Louis | Office Unavailable | Facility $685.35 |
| El Centro | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.63 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office Unavailable | Facility $691.75 |
| Fort Worth | Office Unavailable | Facility $641.31 |
| Fresno | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.37 |
| Galveston | Office Unavailable | Facility $639.94 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.37 |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office Unavailable | Facility $650.25 |
| Houston | Office Unavailable | Facility $668.67 |
| Idaho | Office Unavailable | Facility $604.54 |
| Indiana | Office Unavailable | Facility $606.51 |
| Iowa | Office Unavailable | Facility $599.63 |
| Kansas | Office Unavailable | Facility $603.20 |
| Kentucky | Office Unavailable | Facility $621.98 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $680.01 |
| Madera | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.37 |
| Manhattan | Office Unavailable | Facility $733.89 |
| Merced | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.37 |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office Unavailable | Facility $693.89 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office Unavailable | Facility $634.48 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office Unavailable | Facility $672.05 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office Unavailable | Facility $638.20 |
| Miami | Office Unavailable | Facility $734.74 |
| Minnesota | Office Unavailable | Facility $615.42 |
| Mississippi | Office Unavailable | Facility $607.57 |
| Modesto | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.37 |
| Montana** | Office Unavailable | Facility $646.87 |
| Napa | Office Unavailable | Facility $705.82 |
| Nebraska | Office Unavailable | Facility $600.11 |
| Nevada** | Office Unavailable | Facility $638.40 |
| New Hampshire | Office Unavailable | Facility $648.01 |
| New Mexico | Office Unavailable | Facility $642.16 |
| New Orleans | Office Unavailable | Facility $643.19 |
| North Carolina | Office Unavailable | Facility $615.65 |
| North Dakota** | Office Unavailable | Facility $615.83 |
| Northern Nj | Office Unavailable | Facility $705.95 |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office Unavailable | Facility $753.10 |
| Ohio | Office Unavailable | Facility $631.30 |
| Oklahoma | Office Unavailable | Facility $615.48 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office Unavailable | Facility $672.35 |
| Portland | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.64 |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office Unavailable | Facility $693.99 |
| Puerto Rico | Office Unavailable | Facility $648.22 |
| Queens | Office Unavailable | Facility $730.04 |
| Redding | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.37 |
| Rest Of California | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.37 |
| Rest Of Florida | Office Unavailable | Facility $665.21 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office Unavailable | Facility $637.06 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office Unavailable | Facility $660.40 |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office Unavailable | Facility $623.49 |
| Rest Of Maine | Office Unavailable | Facility $612.35 |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office Unavailable | Facility $648.99 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office Unavailable | Facility $652.69 |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office Unavailable | Facility $637.64 |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office Unavailable | Facility $620.08 |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office Unavailable | Facility $685.47 |
| Rest Of New York | Office Unavailable | Facility $622.15 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office Unavailable | Facility $630.66 |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office Unavailable | Facility $628.92 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office Unavailable | Facility $632.45 |
| Rest Of Washington | Office Unavailable | Facility $649.57 |
| Rhode Island | Office Unavailable | Facility $655.20 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office Unavailable | Facility $664.40 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office Unavailable | Facility $667.55 |
| Salinas | Office Unavailable | Facility $664.76 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office Unavailable | Facility $671.51 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $733.37 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $731.59 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $749.48 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $742.19 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office Unavailable | Facility $655.33 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office Unavailable | Facility $671.03 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office Unavailable | Facility $664.83 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office Unavailable | Facility $677.12 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office Unavailable | Facility $699.86 |
| South Carolina | Office Unavailable | Facility $625.05 |
| South Dakota** | Office Unavailable | Facility $612.16 |
| Southern Maine | Office Unavailable | Facility $625.96 |
| Stockton | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.37 |
| Suburban Chicago | Office Unavailable | Facility $695.32 |
| Tennessee | Office Unavailable | Facility $605.86 |
| Utah | Office Unavailable | Facility $630.52 |
| Vallejo | Office Unavailable | Facility $703.25 |
| Vermont | Office Unavailable | Facility $619.22 |
| Virgin Islands | Office Unavailable | Facility $648.22 |
| Virginia | Office Unavailable | Facility $628.41 |
| Visalia | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.37 |
| West Virginia | Office Unavailable | Facility $645.34 |
| Wisconsin | Office Unavailable | Facility $602.92 |
| Wyoming** | Office Unavailable | Facility $633.34 |
| Yuba City | Office Unavailable | Facility $647.37 |
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51980 billing questions
How is a vesicostomy different from a suprapubic catheter?
A vesicostomy creates a bladder-to-skin opening for ongoing drainage. A suprapubic catheter service places a drainage catheter through the abdominal wall rather than constructing a vesicostomy.
Can this code be reported with other procedures performed during the same operation?
It may be reported with separately performed procedures when each service is supported by the operative documentation. The CMS multiple-procedure reduction applies when procedures are performed in the same session: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%.
Should modifier 50 be used for a vesicostomy?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this procedure, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should show that the surgeon created a cutaneous opening from the bladder for urine drainage and document the reason urinary diversion was needed.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is 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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
6,09851925,,Hysterectomy/bladder repair,A,,17.09,8.22,NA,8.22,,3.00,28.31,28.31,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,09951940,,Correction of bladder defect,A,,29.89,9.88,NA,9.88,,3.85,43.62,43.62,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,10051960,,Revision of bladder & bowel,A,,24.77,9.08,NA,9.08,,3.18,37.03,37.03,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,10151980,,Construct bladder opening,A,,12.26,5.54,NA,5.54,,1.57,19.37,19.37,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,10251990,,Laparo urethral suspension,A,,13.03,5.35,NA,5.35,,1.71,20.09,20.09,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,10351992,,Laparo sling operation,A,,14.50,5.47,NA,5.47,,2.38,22.35,22.35,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,10451999,,Unlisted laps px bladder,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,1,1,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00