No office rate
Use 51721 for ultrasound ablation delivered through a transurethral transducer; 55880 describes prostate ablation by a transrectal HIFU approach.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
51721 Prostate ablation Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama
Reports prostate tissue ablation using a transurethral ultrasound transducer, typically with imaging guidance, rather than a transrectal treatment approach. Compare 51721 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alabama.
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 51721 in Alabama?
Alabama has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$505.35
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alabama
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$179.48
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alabama
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Urology procedure
About 51721: Transurethral ultrasound prostate ablation
Reports prostate tissue ablation using a transurethral ultrasound transducer, typically with imaging guidance, rather than a transrectal treatment approach.
A urologist advances an ablation transducer through the urethra to deliver therapeutic ultrasound to prostate tissue. The procedure is generally performed in a specialized procedural setting; MRI guidance is used for this technique. It is distinct from prostate ablation delivered with a probe positioned in the rectum and from tissue removal by resection.
Select this code when the documented treatment uses a transurethral ultrasound ablation transducer, not simply because prostate tissue was treated. The operative report should identify the transurethral approach, ultrasound treatment, prostate target, and imaging guidance when performed. This is a 0-day global service, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 51721
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is 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 RVU3.95 · 23%
- Practice expense (office) RVU12.46 · 74%
- Malpractice RVU0.49 · 3%
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.
51721 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.
$1,263.95
Both involve transurethral treatment of prostate tissue, but 53850 uses microwave thermotherapy rather than an ultrasound ablation transducer.
No office rate
52601 reports transurethral resection of prostate tissue. Choose 51721 when the documented treatment is transurethral ultrasound ablation, not resection.
Compare 51721 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Alabama →
Office / nonfacility
$505.35
Facility
$179.48
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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 51721 in Alabama.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,053
- Code
- 51721
- Physician work
- 3.95
- Practice expense
- 12.46
- Malpractice
- 0.49
GPCI2026.csv
4
- Locality
- Alabama
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.875
- Malpractice
- 0.566
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 3.95 | × 1.000 | 3.9500 |
| Practice expense | 12.46 | × 0.875 | 10.9025 |
| Malpractice | 0.49 | × 0.566 | 0.2773 |
| Total RVUs | 15.1298 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Alabama$505.35
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 3.95 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 12.46 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 0.49 | 0.566 |
(3.95 × 1 + 12.46 × 0.875 + 0.49 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $505.35
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 3.95 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.31 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 0.49 | 0.566 |
(3.95 × 1 + 1.31 × 0.875 + 0.49 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $179.48
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.
51721 billing questions
How does this differ from transrectal prostate HIFU?
This code describes ultrasound ablation delivered by a transducer placed through the urethra. Code 55880 describes a transrectal HIFU approach.
Should modifier 50 be appended for treatment of both prostate lobes?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; do not use modifier 50 to represent bilateral treatment.
Are same-day evaluation and postoperative services separately included?
The code has a 0-day global period. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is subject to a statutory restriction. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted under the CMS rules for this code.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the transurethral placement of the ultrasound ablation transducer, prostate tissue treated, therapeutic ultrasound delivery, and imaging guidance when performed.
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.
6,05051710,,Change of bladder tube,A,,1.32,2.72,,0.70,,0.17,4.21,2.19,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,05151715,,Endoscopic injection/implant,A,,3.64,6.20,,1.11,,0.53,10.37,5.28,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,05251720,,Treatment of bladder lesion,A,,0.85,1.79,,0.18,,0.11,2.75,1.14,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,05351721,,Ins trurl ablt trnsdc thr us,A,,3.95,12.46,,1.31,,0.49,16.90,5.75,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,05451725,,Simple cystometrogram,A,,1.47,4.27,,4.27,NA,0.20,5.94,5.94,1,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,05551725,26,Simple cystometrogram,A,,1.47,0.63,,0.63,,0.18,2.28,2.28,1,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,05651725,TC,Simple cystometrogram,A,,0.00,3.64,,3.64,NA,0.02,3.66,3.66,1,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1ADDENDUM E. FINAL CY 2026 GEOGRAPHIC PRACTICE COST INDICES (GPCIs) BY STATE AND MEDICARE LOCALITY,,,,,,
2,,,,,,
3Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC),State,Locality Number,Locality Name,2026 PW GPCI (with 1.0 Floor)***,2026 PE GPCI,2026 MP GPCI
410112,AL,00,ALABAMA,1.000,0.875,0.566
502102,AK,01,ALASKA*,1.500,1.065,0.551
603102,AZ,00,ARIZONA,1.000,0.969,0.856
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515