No office rate
51520 describes excision of a bladder diverticulum. Choose 51525 when the cystotomy is performed to remove a bladder tumor.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
51520 in El Centro
Office / nonfacility
Not available in this setting
Base rate per service
Facility setting
$546.53
Base rate per service
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.
Urology surgery
About 51520: Open bladder diverticulum excision
Report 51520 for open excision of one or more bladder diverticula through cystotomy, rather than for tumor removal or partial cystectomy.
51520 represents an open bladder operation in which the surgeon enters the bladder through a cystotomy and removes one or more bladder diverticula. A diverticulum is an outpouching of the bladder wall; this service is distinct from transurethral removal of an intravesical tumor. Urologists typically perform it in an operating room when operative excision of the diverticulum is planned.
Choose 51520 when the operative work is excision of bladder diverticulum through cystotomy, whether one or multiple diverticula are removed. The operative report should identify the diverticulum or diverticula and describe the cystotomy and excision, distinguishing the service from tumor removal or a broader partial cystectomy. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. 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 51520
- 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 RVU9.95 · 61%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.06 · 31%
- Malpractice RVU1.29 · 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.
51520 compared with similar codes
Office rates for El Centro, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
51530 is for bladder tumor excision that includes partial cystectomy. 51520 is for diverticulum excision, not tumor removal with bladder resection.
No office rate
51550 describes simple partial cystectomy. Use 51520 when the documented operation is excision of one or more diverticula through cystotomy.
No office rate
51555 describes complicated partial cystectomy. It is not the diverticulectomy service represented by 51520.
The same code, a different location
How does El Centro compare?
51520 across payment areas
Same release and payment basis · bars start at $0
El Centro · This locality
Unavailable
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Other payment areas listed in California appear first, followed by selected cross-country examples. The chart compares amounts, not distance.
The code’s RVUs stay the same in these comparisons. Geographic adjustments to work, practice expense and malpractice change the dollar amount. A city name alone may not identify the payment area for a service address.
Compare all 108 other payment areas
Merced
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$546.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Modesto
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$546.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Napa
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$597.92
No comparable office rate is available.
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$568.26
No comparable office rate is available.
Redding
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$546.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of California
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$546.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$560.31
No comparable office rate is available.
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$563.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Salinas
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$561.62
No comparable office rate is available.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$567.80
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty)
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$621.99
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty)
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$620.53
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$635.70
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty)
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$629.71
No comparable office rate is available.
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$553.58
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$567.76
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$561.80
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$572.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Stockton
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$546.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Vallejo
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$595.81
No comparable office rate is available.
Visalia
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$546.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Yuba City
California · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$546.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Dc + Md/Va Suburbs
District of Columbia · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$597.33
No comparable office rate is available.
Miami
Florida · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$617.24
No comparable office rate is available.
Chicago
Illinois · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$603.40
No comparable office rate is available.
Manhattan
New York · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$618.33
No comparable office rate is available.
Alaska*
Alaska · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$702.24
No comparable office rate is available.
Alabama
Alabama · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$504.61
No comparable office rate is available.
Arkansas
Arkansas · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$499.71
No comparable office rate is available.
Arizona
Arizona · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$532.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Colorado
Colorado · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$549.80
No comparable office rate is available.
Connecticut
Connecticut · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$573.14
No comparable office rate is available.
Delaware
Delaware · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$539.72
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Lauderdale
Florida · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$581.45
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Florida
Florida · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$558.67
No comparable office rate is available.
Atlanta
Georgia · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$556.80
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Georgia
Georgia · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$534.45
No comparable office rate is available.
Hawaii, Guam
Hawaii · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$549.45
No comparable office rate is available.
Iowa
Iowa · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$504.09
No comparable office rate is available.
Idaho
Idaho · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$508.21
No comparable office rate is available.
East St. Louis
Illinois · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$574.60
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Illinois
Illinois · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$553.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Suburban Chicago
Illinois · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$584.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Indiana
Indiana · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$509.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Kansas
Kansas · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$506.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Kentucky
Kentucky · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$522.01
No comparable office rate is available.
New Orleans
Louisiana · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$540.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Louisiana
Louisiana · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$523.19
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Boston
Massachusetts · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$586.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Massachusetts
Massachusetts · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$549.96
No comparable office rate is available.
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys
Maryland · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$572.30
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maryland
Maryland · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$546.25
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maine
Maine · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$514.63
No comparable office rate is available.
Southern Maine
Maine · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$527.01
No comparable office rate is available.
Detroit
Michigan · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$568.08
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Michigan
Michigan · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$535.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Minnesota
Minnesota · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$519.00
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Kansas City
Missouri · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$533.13
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan St. Louis
Missouri · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$536.41
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Missouri
Missouri · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$519.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Mississippi
Mississippi · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$509.70
No comparable office rate is available.
Montana**
Montana · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$544.35
No comparable office rate is available.
North Carolina
North Carolina · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$517.56
No comparable office rate is available.
North Dakota**
North Dakota · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$518.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Nebraska
Nebraska · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$504.62
No comparable office rate is available.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$545.98
No comparable office rate is available.
Northern Nj
New Jersey · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$595.34
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New Jersey
New Jersey · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$577.46
No comparable office rate is available.
New Mexico
New Mexico · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$539.07
No comparable office rate is available.
Nevada**
Nevada · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$537.41
No comparable office rate is available.
Nyc Suburbs/Long Island
New York · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$634.57
No comparable office rate is available.
Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs
New York · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$584.49
No comparable office rate is available.
Queens
New York · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$615.51
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New York
New York · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$523.19
No comparable office rate is available.
Ohio
Ohio · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$530.08
No comparable office rate is available.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$516.74
No comparable office rate is available.
Portland
Oregon · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$557.48
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Oregon
Oregon · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$530.96
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$565.66
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$528.21
No comparable office rate is available.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$545.65
No comparable office rate is available.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$551.67
No comparable office rate is available.
South Carolina
South Carolina · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$525.13
No comparable office rate is available.
South Dakota**
South Dakota · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$515.82
No comparable office rate is available.
Tennessee
Tennessee · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$509.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Austin
Texas · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$549.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Beaumont
Texas · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$526.16
No comparable office rate is available.
Brazoria
Texas · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$536.09
No comparable office rate is available.
Dallas
Texas · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$540.63
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Worth
Texas · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$539.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Galveston
Texas · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$538.50
No comparable office rate is available.
Houston
Texas · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$562.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Texas
Texas · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$531.64
No comparable office rate is available.
Utah
Utah · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$529.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Virginia
Virginia · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$528.89
No comparable office rate is available.
Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$545.65
No comparable office rate is available.
Vermont
Vermont · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$521.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Washington
Washington · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$547.41
No comparable office rate is available.
Seattle (King Cnty)
Washington · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$591.53
No comparable office rate is available.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$507.52
No comparable office rate is available.
West Virginia
West Virginia · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$540.87
No comparable office rate is available.
Wyoming**
Wyoming · 51520
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$533.23
No comparable office rate is available.
See how rates vary across the country
51520 · 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 |
Where does this rate apply?
El Centro is a Medicare payment area. Our Census mapping connects it to 18 cities and communities in California, including the examples shown here.
Some communities span more than one payment area. Follow a city link to compare all of its mapped areas, or check the service-location ZIP above for an address-level starting point.
Use this rate
What is a percentage of Medicare worth?
Turn a percentage into dollars for 51520 in El Centro. This uses the base rate on this page, so the locality and release stay consistent.
Reference amount per service
$601.18
$546.53 × 110% = $601.18
A contract may specify another Medicare year or additional adjustments. This is percentage arithmetic on the displayed base rate, not a claim adjudication.
Working with a whole code list?
Compare an offer across your annual code mix, including an older Medicare schedule or flat per-code rates.
How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 51520 in El Centro.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,027
- Code
- 51520
- Physician work
- 9.95
- Practice expense
- 5.06
- Malpractice
- 1.29
GPCI2026.csv
10
- Locality
- El Centro
- Physician work
- 1.017
- Practice expense
- 1.096
- Malpractice
- 0.541
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 9.95 | × 1.017 | 10.1191 |
| Practice expense | 5.06 | × 1.096 | 5.5458 |
| Malpractice | 1.29 | × 0.541 | 0.6979 |
| Total RVUs | 16.3628 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, El Centro$546.53
Open 51520 in the RVU calculator →
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 9.95 | 1.017 |
| Practice expense | 5.06 | 1.096 |
| Malpractice | 1.29 | 0.541 |
(9.95 × 1.017 + 5.06 × 1.096 + 1.29 × 0.541) × $33.4009 = $546.53
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
How this rate has changed
51520 · Office / nonfacility
Rate unavailable
Effective 2026-10-01
A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.
One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.
What changed, release by release
Explore release dates and calculate this code in an earlier period →
Each row uses the accepted CMS release effective on that date and the same contractor and locality identifiers. Missing rates stay visible. Historical boundaries may differ; verify the service address for an older claim.
Inspect every release and its CMS source
| Effective from | Office / nonfacility | Facility | CMS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $546.53 | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $546.53 | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $546.53 | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $546.53 | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $588.96 | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $588.96 | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $588.96 | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $588.96 | RVU25A |
51520 billing questions
When should 51520 be used instead of 51525?
Use 51520 for excision of a bladder diverticulum through cystotomy. Use 51525 when the cystotomy is for excision of a bladder tumor.
Is each diverticulum reported as a separate unit?
No. The code covers excision of a single diverticulum or multiple diverticula; the number removed alone does not establish separate units.
Does the 90-day global period include postoperative care?
Yes. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the major-surgery global period.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and 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.
6,02451101,,Drain bladder by trocar/cath,A,,0.99,3.55,,0.21,,0.13,4.67,1.33,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,02551102,,Drain bl w/cath insertion,A,,2.63,4.26,,0.81,,0.33,7.22,3.77,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,02651500,,Removal of bladder cyst,A,,10.77,5.23,NA,5.23,,1.37,17.37,17.37,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,02751520,,Removal of bladder lesion,A,,9.95,5.06,NA,5.06,,1.29,16.30,16.30,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,02851525,,Removal of bladder lesion,A,,15.03,6.12,NA,6.12,,2.00,23.15,23.15,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,02951530,,Removal of bladder lesion,A,,13.37,5.76,NA,5.76,,1.72,20.85,20.85,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,03051535,,Repair of ureter lesion,A,,13.55,5.80,NA,5.80,,1.74,21.09,21.09,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515
801112,CA,54,BAKERSFIELD,1.019,1.096,0.609
901112,CA,55,CHICO,1.017,1.096,0.536
1001182,CA,71,EL CENTRO,1.017,1.096,0.541
1101112,CA,56,FRESNO,1.017,1.096,0.536
1201112,CA,57,HANFORD-CORCORAN,1.017,1.096,0.536
1301182,CA,18,LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH-ANAHEIM (LOS ANGELES/ORANGE CNTY),1.041,1.183,0.664