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Billing code 52277: Bladder neck incisionMedicare rate & RVUs

A urologist uses cystoscopy to incise a narrowed bladder neck contracture, commonly to restore urinary flow after prior prostate treatment.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities18 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $285.24 for 52277 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 52277

Bladder neck incision

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
6.01
Total RVUs
8.54
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$285.24

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 52277 → · 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 52277 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 52277 covers

This procedure treats a bladder neck contracture, a scar-related narrowing at the bladder outlet. A urologist passes a cystoscope through the urethra and makes an incision in the contracted bladder neck, commonly with an endoscopic cutting instrument or energy device. It is typically performed in an operating room or ambulatory surgery setting for patients with obstructive urinary symptoms after prior prostate surgery or other treatment affecting the bladder outlet.

Report the code when the documented procedure is incision of a bladder neck contracture; a urethral stricture treated at a different site is not the same service. The operative report should identify the contracture and describe its endoscopic incision. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy family pricing applies. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented 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 52277 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

52277 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$266.53
Alaska*Unavailable$377.54
ArizonaUnavailable$279.64
ArkansasUnavailable$264.25
AtlantaUnavailable$292.08
AustinUnavailable$286.01
BakersfieldUnavailable$284.32
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$298.95
BeaumontUnavailable$278.14
BrazoriaUnavailable$280.52

52277 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.

View every state and territory as a table
52277 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 52277 rate is calculated

Each of 52277’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 · 52277

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 6.01Practice expense 1.74Malpractice 0.79

8.5400 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$285.24

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 52277

The CMS indicators that decide how 52277 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 52277

Bladder neck incision

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included.
Multiple procedures3Endoscopy family rules apply.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
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 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

52277 without 51 · national facility

$285.24

Bladder neck incision

52277-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$142.62

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

52277 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

52277 vs 52276 vs 52281 vs 52640: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 52277
    Bladder neck incision · 6.01 wRVU
    —
  • 52276
    Urethral stricture treatment · 4.87 wRVU
    —
  • 52281
    Urethral dilation · 2.68 wRVU
    $310.29
  • 52640
    Bladder neck treatment · 4.67 wRVU
    —

How to choose

52276Urethral stricture treatment
Use 52277 for incision of a bladder neck contracture. Code 52276 is for direct-vision internal incision of a urethral stricture.
52281Urethral dilation
Code 52281 addresses urethral stricture or stenosis with calibration or dilation. It is not the code for incision of a bladder neck contracture.
52640Bladder neck treatment
Code 52640 describes transurethral resection of bladder neck tissue. Choose based on the procedure performed: resection versus endoscopic incision of a contracture.

Codes related to 52277

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

Codes related to 52277
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
52276Urethral stricture treatmentTreats a urethral stricture by direct-vision incision rather than a bladder neck contracture.No office rate
52281Urethral dilationAddresses urethral stricture or stenosis through calibration or dilation, not bladder neck contracture incision.$275.03–$406.83
52640Bladder neck treatmentTreats bladder neck obstruction by transurethral resection rather than endoscopic incision.No office rate

52277 billing questions

How does this differ from 52276?

52277 is for incision of a bladder neck contracture. Code 52276 describes direct-vision incision of a urethral stricture, a different anatomic site.

Can bladder neck incision be billed with another endoscopy?

When related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy family pricing applies. Document each procedure performed and the anatomy treated.

Does this code have a global period?

It has a 0-day global period. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.

Should modifier 50 be used for bilateral treatment?

No. CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service.

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is available only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted under the CMS rules 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 52277PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,123 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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