$242.96–$345.28
Both codes describe vulvar lesion destruction. Choose 56501 for simple lesions and 56515 for extensive or complicated destruction.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
56501 Vulvar lesion destruction Medicare reimbursement rates
Destruction of one or more simple vulvar lesions, such as external genital warts, by an appropriate method in an office or outpatient setting. Compare 56501 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 56501?
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
$163.33–$242.19
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $78.86 per service.
Facility setting
$107.38–$148.27
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $40.89 per service.
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 56501 pays more and less
109 payment localities
$163.33 to $242.19
Gynecology procedure
About 56501: Simple vulvar lesion destruction
Destruction of one or more simple vulvar lesions, such as external genital warts, by an appropriate method in an office or outpatient setting.
Report 56501 for destruction of one or more simple vulvar lesions, commonly external genital warts (condylomata), using a method such as cryotherapy, electrosurgery, laser, or chemical treatment. A gynecologist or other clinician may perform the procedure in an office or outpatient facility. The service treats the lesion rather than obtaining tissue for histologic diagnosis; when a lesion needs diagnostic sampling, a vulvar biopsy may be appropriate instead.
Choose this code for simple destruction; 56515 is the related code for extensive or complicated destruction. Document the lesion site, the method used, and the clinical basis for treatment. Medicare assigns a 10-day minor-procedure global period, so related postoperative visits during those 10 days are included. When another procedure subject to multiple-procedure rules is performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Report without modifier 50. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 56501
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 10-day global period: related postoperative visits for 10 days 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
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.54 · 28%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.75 · 68%
- Malpractice RVU0.25 · 5%
2.5K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2305 by national volume
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.
56501 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
$83.19–$117.24
56605 obtains tissue from a vulvar or perineal lesion for diagnosis; 56501 destroys the lesion without describing diagnostic sampling.
$97.94–$150.73
17110 is for qualifying benign lesions outside the vulvar-specific code family. For simple vulvar lesion destruction, use 56501.
See how rates vary across the country
56501 · 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.
$163.33
$218.13
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $215.15 | 1 |
| AL | $165.76 | 1 |
| AR | $163.33 | 1 |
| AZ | $179.96 | 1 |
| CA | $194.07–$242.19 | 29 |
| CO | $191.85 | 1 |
| CT | $197.47 | 1 |
| DC | $211.06 | 1 |
| DE | $182.95 | 1 |
| FL | $183.73–$202.94 | 3 |
| GA | $173.12–$188.88 | 2 |
| GU | $198.69 | 1 |
| HI | $198.69 | 1 |
| IA | $169.36 | 1 |
| ID | $170.62 | 1 |
| IL | $178.85–$196.84 | 4 |
| IN | $171.61 | 1 |
| KS | $168.87 | 1 |
| KY | $170.43 | 1 |
| LA | $170.29–$178.79 | 2 |
| MA | $190.81–$210.53 | 2 |
| MD | $186.37–$211.06 | 3 |
| ME | $171.86–$180.83 | 2 |
| MI | $175.22–$186.39 | 2 |
| MN | $182.79 | 1 |
| MO | $167.54–$179.05 | 3 |
| MS | $165.45 | 1 |
| MT | $185.02 | 1 |
| NC | $173.63 | 1 |
| ND | $180.08 | 1 |
| NE | $170.20 | 1 |
| NH | $189.13 | 1 |
| NJ | $199.43–$208.89 | 2 |
| NM | $176.32 | 1 |
| NV | $183.77 | 1 |
| NY | $176.30–$219.16 | 5 |
| OH | $174.21 | 1 |
| OK | $169.78 | 1 |
| OR | $182.06–$197.63 | 2 |
| PA | $174.31–$192.71 | 2 |
| PR | $186.29 | 1 |
| RI | $189.25 | 1 |
| SC | $174.27 | 1 |
| SD | $179.50 | 1 |
| TN | $169.78 | 1 |
| TX | $173.18–$191.46 | 8 |
| UT | $176.67 | 1 |
| VA | $180.46–$211.06 | 2 |
| VI | $186.29 | 1 |
| VT | $179.66 | 1 |
| WA | $190.35–$214.52 | 2 |
| WI | $174.00 | 1 |
| WV | $172.23 | 1 |
| WY | $182.87 | 1 |
Compare 56501 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 $165.76 | Facility $108.77 |
| Alaska* | Office $215.15 | Facility $145.79 |
| Arizona | Office $179.96 | Facility $116.84 |
| Arkansas | Office $163.33 | Facility $107.38 |
| Atlanta | Office $188.88 | Facility $122.70 |
| Austin | Office $191.46 | Facility $122.55 |
| Bakersfield | Office $194.78 | Facility $123.39 |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office $196.99 | Facility $127.10 |
| Beaumont | Office $173.18 | Facility $113.91 |
| Brazoria | Office $182.49 | Facility $117.94 |
| Chicago | Office $196.84 | Facility $131.38 |
| Chico | Office $194.07 | Facility $122.68 |
| Colorado | Office $191.85 | Facility $122.55 |
| Connecticut | Office $197.47 | Facility $127.32 |
| Dallas | Office $183.82 | Facility $118.95 |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office $211.06 | Facility $134.33 |
| Delaware | Office $182.95 | Facility $118.60 |
| Detroit | Office $186.39 | Facility $123.53 |
| East St. Louis | Office $183.49 | Facility $123.57 |
| El Centro | Office $194.11 | Facility $122.72 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office $193.42 | Facility $127.44 |
| Fort Worth | Office $182.67 | Facility $118.45 |
| Fresno | Office $194.07 | Facility $122.68 |
| Galveston | Office $183.14 | Facility $118.46 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $194.07 | Facility $122.68 |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office $198.69 | Facility $124.63 |
| Houston | Office $187.72 | Facility $123.04 |
| Idaho | Office $170.62 | Facility $110.70 |
| Indiana | Office $171.61 | Facility $111.23 |
| Iowa | Office $169.36 | Facility $109.76 |
| Kansas | Office $168.87 | Facility $110.00 |
| Kentucky | Office $170.43 | Facility $112.53 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $207.27 | Facility $130.21 |
| Madera | Office $194.07 | Facility $122.68 |
| Manhattan | Office $213.52 | Facility $137.83 |
| Merced | Office $194.07 | Facility $122.68 |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office $210.53 | Facility $132.76 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office $177.21 | Facility $116.05 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office $192.71 | Facility $124.91 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office $179.05 | Facility $117.04 |
| Miami | Office $202.94 | Facility $135.14 |
| Minnesota | Office $182.79 | Facility $115.77 |
| Mississippi | Office $165.45 | Facility $109.37 |
| Modesto | Office $194.07 | Facility $122.68 |
| Montana** | Office $185.02 | Facility $119.89 |
| Napa | Office $224.00 | Facility $138.16 |
| Nebraska | Office $170.20 | Facility $110.09 |
| Nevada** | Office $183.77 | Facility $118.57 |
| New Hampshire | Office $189.13 | Facility $121.33 |
| New Mexico | Office $176.32 | Facility $116.60 |
| New Orleans | Office $178.79 | Facility $117.50 |
| North Carolina | Office $173.63 | Facility $112.87 |
| North Dakota** | Office $180.08 | Facility $114.95 |
| Northern Nj | Office $208.89 | Facility $133.34 |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office $219.16 | Facility $141.72 |
| Ohio | Office $174.21 | Facility $114.75 |
| Oklahoma | Office $169.78 | Facility $111.61 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $206.13 | Facility $129.14 |
| Portland | Office $197.63 | Facility $125.27 |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office $201.01 | Facility $129.69 |
| Puerto Rico | Office $186.29 | Facility $120.45 |
| Queens | Office $214.82 | Facility $137.83 |
| Redding | Office $194.07 | Facility $122.68 |
| Rest Of California | Office $194.07 | Facility $122.68 |
| Rest Of Florida | Office $183.73 | Facility $121.46 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office $173.12 | Facility $115.02 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office $178.85 | Facility $119.38 |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office $170.29 | Facility $112.64 |
| Rest Of Maine | Office $171.86 | Facility $111.94 |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office $186.37 | Facility $120.46 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office $190.81 | Facility $122.22 |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office $175.22 | Facility $115.76 |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office $167.54 | Facility $111.40 |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office $199.43 | Facility $128.31 |
| Rest Of New York | Office $176.30 | Facility $114.42 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office $182.06 | Facility $117.19 |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office $174.31 | Facility $114.52 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $177.84 | Facility $116.03 |
| Rest Of Washington | Office $190.35 | Facility $121.77 |
| Rhode Island | Office $189.25 | Facility $121.97 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $196.76 | Facility $125.38 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $203.43 | Facility $127.69 |
| Salinas | Office $202.68 | Facility $127.19 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $207.31 | Facility $129.41 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $236.76 | Facility $144.93 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $236.48 | Facility $144.64 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $242.19 | Facility $148.27 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $241.03 | Facility $147.11 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $199.45 | Facility $125.27 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $209.18 | Facility $130.04 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $203.40 | Facility $127.46 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $211.27 | Facility $131.29 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office $214.52 | Facility $134.60 |
| South Carolina | Office $174.27 | Facility $114.09 |
| South Dakota** | Office $179.50 | Facility $114.36 |
| Southern Maine | Office $180.83 | Facility $116.29 |
| Stockton | Office $194.07 | Facility $122.68 |
| Suburban Chicago | Office $195.23 | Facility $128.34 |
| Tennessee | Office $169.78 | Facility $110.57 |
| Utah | Office $176.67 | Facility $115.45 |
| Vallejo | Office $223.59 | Facility $137.75 |
| Vermont | Office $179.66 | Facility $115.18 |
| Virgin Islands | Office $186.29 | Facility $120.45 |
| Virginia | Office $180.46 | Facility $116.43 |
| Visalia | Office $194.07 | Facility $122.68 |
| West Virginia | Office $172.23 | Facility $115.63 |
| Wisconsin | Office $174.00 | Facility $111.61 |
| Wyoming** | Office $182.87 | Facility $117.74 |
| Yuba City | Office $194.07 | Facility $122.68 |
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56501 billing questions
How do I choose between 56501 and 56515?
Use 56501 for simple vulvar lesion destruction. Use 56515 when the destruction is extensive or complicated; document the circumstances supporting that distinction.
Is 56501 reported once for multiple simple lesions?
The code describes destruction of lesion or lesions, so it is not reported once per lesion. Document the treated sites and the work performed.
Can I report a biopsy with 56501?
A biopsy is a diagnostic sampling service, while 56501 destroys the lesion. Report a biopsy only when tissue is separately sampled and the documentation supports that distinct service.
Should modifier 50 be appended for lesions on both sides?
No. Report the vulvar destruction without modifier 50.
What postoperative care is included?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure's Medicare payment.
How does Medicare handle another procedure performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeon or team-surgery billing 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.
6,40556440,,Mrsplzatn brthlns glnd cst,A,,2.82,1.60,NA,1.60,,0.48,4.90,4.90,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,40656441,,Lysis of labial adhesions,A,,1.97,3.15,,1.90,,0.34,5.46,4.21,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,40756442,,Hymenotomy,A,,0.66,0.53,NA,0.53,,0.12,1.31,1.31,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,40856501,,Destroy vulva lesions sim,A,,1.54,3.75,,1.80,,0.25,5.54,3.59,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,40956515,,Destroy vulva lesion/s compl,A,,3.00,4.67,,2.18,,0.51,8.18,5.69,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,41056605,,Biopsy of vulva/perineum,A,,1.07,1.54,,0.29,,0.19,2.80,1.55,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,41156606,,Biopsy of vulva/perineum,A,,0.54,0.54,,0.13,,0.09,1.17,0.76,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00