Billing code 54000: Dorsal slitMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports a dorsal slit of a newborn’s foreskin, with or without circumcision, to open a tight or constricting prepuce.
Medicare pays $197.30 for 54000 in the office in Alaska (Alaska*). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 9 sections
What 54000 covers
billing code 54000 describes a dorsal incision through the newborn’s prepuce to open the foreskin. It may be performed with or without circumcision, including when a constricting foreskin needs release. The service is typically performed by a physician in a hospital, birthing facility, or outpatient setting. The record should identify the patient as a newborn, the reason for the slit, and whether circumcision was also performed.
Choose this code for a newborn; code 54001 is the related code for a patient other than a newborn. The 10-day global period includes related postoperative visits during that period. 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this procedure. An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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.
54000 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $197.30 | $130.78 |
How the 54000 rate is calculated
Each of 54000’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 54000
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.55
1.55 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.26
3.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.20
0.20 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.0100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$167.34
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 54000
54000 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 54000
Dorsal slit
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 54000
Dorsal slit
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
54000 without 51 · national office
$167.34
Dorsal slit
54000-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$83.67
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
54000 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 54001Prepuce incision
- The procedure is the same type of prepuce slit, but 54001 is for a patient other than a newborn; 54000 is for a newborn.
- 54150Circumcision
- This code describes newborn circumcision using a clamp or other device. Use 54000 when the documented service is a dorsal slit of the newborn’s prepuce.
- 54160Circumcision
- This code describes newborn circumcision by surgical excision. Code 54000 identifies a dorsal slit, which may be performed with or without circumcision.
54000 billing questions
How do I distinguish 54000 from 54001?
Use 54000 for a newborn and 54001 for a patient other than a newborn. The distinction is the patient’s status, not the reason for the dorsal slit.
Does the newborn have to undergo circumcision?
No. The code covers the dorsal slit whether or not circumcision is also performed. Document whether circumcision occurred.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 should not be reported.
What postoperative care is included?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect payment?
For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are subject to the standard 50% 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 indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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