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Billing code 52648: Laser prostate surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs

Transurethral laser vaporization removes obstructive prostate tissue for benign enlargement when the surgeon vaporizes tissue rather than resecting or enucleating it.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities14.7K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $528.40 for 52648 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 52648

Laser prostate surgery

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
9.8
Total RVUs
15.82
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$528.40

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 52648 → · 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 52648 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 52648 covers

A urologist performs this transurethral procedure to relieve obstruction from benign prostate enlargement, often in a patient with bothersome urinary symptoms or retention. The surgeon directs laser energy through an endoscope to vaporize the obstructive tissue. It is performed in an operating room or other surgical setting; unlike tissue-removing techniques, vaporization does not typically yield a resection specimen for pathology.

Report 52648 when the operative technique is laser vaporization, not transurethral resection or laser enucleation. The operative report should identify the laser vaporization method, treated prostate tissue, and the clinical indication. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is not appropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; 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 52648 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

52648 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$490.16
Alaska*Unavailable$683.33
ArizonaUnavailable$517.38
ArkansasUnavailable$485.46
AtlantaUnavailable$540.45
AustinUnavailable$533.42
BakersfieldUnavailable$533.27
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$555.27
BeaumontUnavailable$511.11
BrazoriaUnavailable$520.26

52648 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
52648 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 52648 rate is calculated

Each of 52648’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 · 52648

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 9.80Practice expense 4.75Malpractice 1.27

15.8200 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$528.40

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 52648

52648 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 52648

Laser prostate surgery

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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.
Split (54/55/56)0.08/0.83/0.09Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 52648

Laser prostate surgery

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

52648 without 51 · national facility

$528.40

Laser prostate surgery

52648-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$264.20

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

52648 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

52648 vs 52649 vs 52601 vs 52630: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 52648
    Laser prostate surgery · 9.8 wRVU
    —
  • 52649
    Laser enucleation · 12.68 wRVU
    —
  • 52601
    TURP · 9.75 wRVU
    —
  • 52630
    Prostate resection · 6.39 wRVU
    —

How to choose

52649Laser enucleation
Choose 52648 for laser vaporization and 52649 for laser enucleation. The operative method, not simply use of a laser, distinguishes the codes.
52601TURP
52648 represents laser vaporization; 52601 represents transurethral resection. Match the code to the technique documented in the operative report.
52630Prostate resection
52630 is for treating residual or regrown prostate tissue after prior surgery. 52648 describes laser vaporization for the current obstructive prostate condition.

Codes related to 52648

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

Codes related to 52648
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
52649Laser enucleationLaser enucleation is a different technique for treating obstructive prostate tissue.No office rate
52601TURPTransurethral resection is an alternative when the surgeon resects rather than vaporizes prostate tissue.No office rate
52630Prostate resectionUsed for transurethral treatment of residual or regrown prostate tissue after prior prostate surgery.No office rate

52648 billing questions

How does 52648 differ from 52649?

52648 is for laser vaporization of obstructive prostate tissue. Use 52649 when the surgeon performs laser enucleation instead.

How does 52648 differ from TURP, code 52601?

52648 describes laser vaporization; 52601 describes transurethral resection. Select the code that matches the operative technique documented.

Is control of bleeding included?

Control of bleeding associated with the prostate procedure is included in 52648; it is not separately reported as another prostate procedure.

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 modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be used?

Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this prostate procedure. Medicare does not pay an assistant-at-surgery claim for 52648.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in the session are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction.

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 52648PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,168 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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