Billing code 55250: VasectomyMedicare rate & RVUs

A vasectomy interrupts both vas deferens for permanent male contraception, with postoperative semen examinations included in the service.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities81 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $346.70 for 55250 nationally in the office and $218.11 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $308.49–$450.75.

Medicare rate · 55250

Vasectomy

Work RVUs
3.29
Total RVUs
10.38
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$346.70

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 55250 →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 9 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 55250 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Billing questions
  9. Sources

What 55250 covers

55250 represents surgical interruption of both vas deferens to provide permanent contraception. A urologist typically performs the procedure in an office or ambulatory surgery setting, commonly with local anesthesia. The service includes postoperative semen examinations used to assess for sperm after the procedure. It is selected for vas deferens interruption, rather than an incision performed for another purpose or surgery to restore duct continuity.

Report the operation once; CMS pricing already accounts for bilateral treatment, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. Documentation should support the contraception indication and record the operative treatment of both ducts. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When another procedure is 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. Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid; 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 55250 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

$308.49 to $450.75

$308.49$379.62$450.75
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

55250 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$312.77$200.25
Alaska*$409.83$272.88
Arizona$337.77$213.17
Arkansas$308.49$198.02
Atlanta$353.42$222.76
Austin$358.24$222.19
Bakersfield$364.69$223.75
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$368.05$230.07
Beaumont$325.65$208.63
Brazoria$342.49$215.05

55250 rates by state

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

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.

$308.49

$409.83

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
55250 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$409.831
AL$312.771
AR$308.491
AZ$337.771
CA$363.45–$450.7529
CO$359.211
CT$369.001
DC$393.881
DE$343.161
FL$343.96–$377.283
GA$325.33–$353.422
GU$371.321
HI$371.321
IA$319.311
ID$321.491
IL$335.22–$366.754
IN$323.231
KS$318.361
KY$320.781
LA$320.49–$335.462
MA$357.42–$392.882
MD$349.32–$393.883
ME$323.58–$339.522
MI$329.13–$348.532
MN$343.291
MO$315.59–$336.043
MS$312.071
MT$346.671
NC$326.711
ND$338.371
NE$320.821
NH$354.081
NJ$372.95–$390.222
NM$331.031
NV$344.581
NY$331.40–$407.865
OH$327.431
OK$319.741
OR$341.64–$369.602
PA$327.66–$360.522
PR$348.941
RI$354.631
SC$327.671
SD$337.391
TN$319.931
TX$325.65–$358.248
UT$331.901
VA$338.79–$393.882
VI$348.941
VT$337.541
WA$356.58–$400.202
WI$327.641
WV$323.561
WY$343.051

How the 55250 rate is calculated

Each of 55250’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 · 55250

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work3.29

3.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense6.67

6.67 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.42

0.42 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

10.3800

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$346.70

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 55250

55250 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 55250

Vasectomy

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)2Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%.
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)0.10/0.80/0.10Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 55250

Vasectomy

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned 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

55250 without 51 · national office

$346.70

Vasectomy

55250-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$173.35

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

55250 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 55250

    Vasectomy3.29 wRVU

    $346.70

  • 55200

    Vasotomy4.44 wRVU

    $395.13+$48.43

  • 55400

    Vasovasostomy8.39 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 89310

    Not on the physician fee schedule0 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

55200Vasotomy
55200 represents an incision of the vas deferens. Use 55250 when the purpose is permanent contraception through interruption of both ducts.
55400Vasovasostomy
55400 is used for vas deferens reconstruction to restore continuity, such as after a prior vasectomy; 55250 is the interruption procedure.
89310Semen analysis w/count
89310 is a semen analysis service. Postoperative semen examinations associated with 55250 are included in the vasectomy service.

55250 billing questions

Should modifier 50 be appended?

No. CMS prices 55250 as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment.

Are postoperative semen examinations included?

Yes. The service includes postoperative semen examinations related to assessing the vasectomy result.

What does the 90-day global period include?

It includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid for this code. CMS also does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery.

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 55250PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,347 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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