No office rate
Use 53445 for implantation of the complete inflatable sphincter system, including pump, reservoir, and cuff. This code describes insertion of a tandem cuff.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
53444 Tandem cuff Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama
Reports placement of an additional artificial urinary sphincter cuff in tandem to increase urethral resistance for selected patients with persistent urinary incontinence. Compare 53444 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 53444 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
No supported rate
Facility setting
$666.70
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 surgery
About 53444: Tandem artificial sphincter cuff insertion
Reports placement of an additional artificial urinary sphincter cuff in tandem to increase urethral resistance for selected patients with persistent urinary incontinence.
A urologist places an additional cuff alongside an artificial urinary sphincter to increase compression of the urethra and improve continence. The procedure is used for selected patients with persistent or recurrent urinary leakage when a tandem cuff is part of the surgical plan. It is distinct from implanting a complete sphincter system, which includes the pump and reservoir as well as a cuff. The work is typically performed in an operating room.
Report the procedure when the operative documentation supports insertion of a tandem cuff, including the device context and the reason for the additional cuff. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is not appropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 53444
- 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 RVU13.84 · 64%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.85 · 27%
- Malpractice RVU1.77 · 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.
53444 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
53440 describes a male sling procedure. It is a different continence operation, not placement of an additional artificial sphincter cuff.
No office rate
53447 describes removal and replacement of an artificial urinary sphincter. It is not the code for adding a tandem cuff to the device.
Compare 53444 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
Unavailable
Facility
$666.70
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
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 53444 in Alabama.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,201
- Code
- 53444
- Physician work
- 13.84
- Practice expense
- 5.85
- Malpractice
- 1.77
GPCI2026.csv
4
- Locality
- Alabama
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.875
- Malpractice
- 0.566
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 13.84 | × 1.000 | 13.8400 |
| Practice expense | 5.85 | × 0.875 | 5.1187 |
| Malpractice | 1.77 | × 0.566 | 1.0018 |
| Total RVUs | 19.9606 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Alabama$666.70
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 13.84 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 5.85 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 1.77 | 0.566 |
(13.84 × 1 + 5.85 × 0.875 + 1.77 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $666.70
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.
53444 billing questions
How is this different from 53445?
53444 describes insertion of a tandem cuff. Code 53445 describes insertion of an inflatable sphincter system, including its pump, reservoir, and cuff.
What documentation supports reporting a tandem cuff?
The operative report should identify the additional cuff, its placement in tandem with the artificial urinary sphincter, and the clinical reason for the procedure.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code; modifier 50 is inappropriate.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
How are multiple procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; 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.
6,19853431,,Reconstruct urethra/bladder,A,,20.65,7.55,NA,7.55,,2.65,30.85,30.85,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,19953440,,Male sling procedure,A,,13.03,5.70,NA,5.70,,1.67,20.40,20.40,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,20053442,,Remove/revise male sling,A,,13.15,6.61,NA,6.61,,1.69,21.45,21.45,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,20153444,,Insert tandem cuff,A,,13.84,5.85,NA,5.85,,1.77,21.46,21.46,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,20253445,,Insert uro/ves nck sphincter,A,,12.68,6.33,NA,6.33,,1.63,20.64,20.64,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,20353446,,Remove uro sphincter,A,,10.74,5.47,NA,5.47,,1.37,17.58,17.58,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,20453447,,Remove/replace ur sphincter,A,,13.92,6.18,NA,6.18,,1.78,21.88,21.88,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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