No office rate
This code concerns bladder or bladder-neck plastic reconstruction; 51960 is distinguished by use of intestinal tissue in the bladder reconstruction.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
51960 Bladder reconstruction Medicare reimbursement rates in Alaska
Reports bladder reconstruction using intestinal tissue, commonly to enlarge or revise a bladder with inadequate capacity or function. Compare 51960 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alaska.
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 51960 in Alaska?
Alaska 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
$1622.53
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alaska*
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.
Urologic surgery
About 51960: Intestinal bladder reconstruction
Reports bladder reconstruction using intestinal tissue, commonly to enlarge or revise a bladder with inadequate capacity or function.
A urologist performs this reconstruction by using a segment of intestine to enlarge or revise the urinary bladder. It is used in cases such as a contracted, low-capacity bladder, including some patients with neurogenic bladder. The operation is typically performed in a hospital operating room and involves reconstructing the bladder with the bowel segment; the intestinal tissue is part of the bladder reconstruction rather than a separate bowel procedure.
Report the code when the operative report supports reconstruction of the bladder using intestinal tissue. Documentation should identify the bladder problem, the intestinal segment used, and the reconstructive work performed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard 50% 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 51960
- 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 RVU24.77 · 67%
- Practice expense (office) RVU9.08 · 25%
- Malpractice RVU3.18 · 9%
31
Medicare services in 2024 · #5651 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.
51960 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alaska, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
51920 addresses closure of a vesicouterine fistula. Choose it for fistula closure rather than intestinal reconstruction of the bladder.
No office rate
51925 describes hysterectomy with bladder repair for the relevant operative situation; 51960 describes bladder reconstruction using intestinal tissue.
Compare 51960 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
Alaska* →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1622.53
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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 51960 in Alaska*.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,100
- Code
- 51960
- Physician work
- 24.77
- Practice expense
- 9.08
- Malpractice
- 3.18
GPCI2026.csv
5
- Locality
- Alaska*
- Physician work
- 1.500
- Practice expense
- 1.065
- Malpractice
- 0.551
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 24.77 | × 1.500 | 37.1550 |
| Practice expense | 9.08 | × 1.065 | 9.6702 |
| Malpractice | 3.18 | × 0.551 | 1.7522 |
| Total RVUs | 48.5774 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Alaska*$1622.53
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 24.77 | 1.5 |
| Practice expense | 9.08 | 1.065 |
| Malpractice | 3.18 | 0.551 |
(24.77 × 1.5 + 9.08 × 1.065 + 3.18 × 0.551) × $33.4009 = $1622.53
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.
51960 billing questions
When is this code selected instead of a bladder-plasty code?
Use this code when the bladder reconstruction incorporates an intestinal segment. A bladder repair or plastic procedure without intestinal tissue may fall under a different code, depending on the operative objective.
Can the bowel work be reported separately?
The intestinal segment used to reconstruct the bladder is part of this service. Do not separately report bowel work solely for obtaining and incorporating that segment.
Is modifier 50 appropriate?
No. The code's anatomy and service do not support a bilateral adjustment.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days.
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.
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.
6,09751920,,Close bladder-uterus fistula,A,,13.07,5.99,NA,5.99,,1.68,20.74,20.74,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,09851925,,Hysterectomy/bladder repair,A,,17.09,8.22,NA,8.22,,3.00,28.31,28.31,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,09951940,,Correction of bladder defect,A,,29.89,9.88,NA,9.88,,3.85,43.62,43.62,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,10051960,,Revision of bladder & bowel,A,,24.77,9.08,NA,9.08,,3.18,37.03,37.03,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,10151980,,Construct bladder opening,A,,12.26,5.54,NA,5.54,,1.57,19.37,19.37,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,10251990,,Laparo urethral suspension,A,,13.03,5.35,NA,5.35,,1.71,20.09,20.09,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,10351992,,Laparo sling operation,A,,14.50,5.47,NA,5.47,,2.38,22.35,22.35,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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
801112,CA,54,BAKERSFIELD,1.019,1.096,0.609