No office rate
57020 is needle aspiration through the posterior vaginal fornix. 57000 uses an incision for vaginal exploration.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
57020 Colpocentesis Medicare reimbursement rates in Delaware
Colpocentesis is needle aspiration through the posterior vaginal fornix, classically used to evaluate suspected blood or fluid in the pelvic cul-de-sac. Compare 57020 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Delaware.
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 57020 in Delaware?
Delaware 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
$118.23
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Delaware
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$68.07
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Delaware
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.
Gynecology procedure
About 57020: Posterior fornix cul-de-sac aspiration
Colpocentesis is needle aspiration through the posterior vaginal fornix, classically used to evaluate suspected blood or fluid in the pelvic cul-de-sac.
A clinician passes a needle through the posterior vaginal fornix to aspirate fluid from the pelvic cul-de-sac. The procedure is most associated with diagnostic evaluation when pelvic bleeding is suspected, such as concern for a ruptured ectopic pregnancy. Gynecologists typically perform it in a facility setting. The separate-procedure designation matters: report it when performed as an independent service, rather than when the aspiration is integral to a more extensive procedure.
Document the indication, the route of access, the aspiration performed, and the findings. This code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 57020
- 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
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.46 · 41%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.87 · 52%
- Malpractice RVU0.25 · 7%
11
Medicare services in 2024 · #6168 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.
57020 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Delaware, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
57010 describes colpotomy drainage of a pelvic abscess. Use 57020 for needle aspiration of cul-de-sac fluid, not surgical abscess drainage.
No office rate
49320 evaluates the abdomen and pelvis through a laparoscope. 57020 obtains cul-de-sac fluid by transvaginal needle aspiration.
Compare 57020 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
Delaware →
Office / nonfacility
$118.23
Facility
$68.07
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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 57020 in Delaware.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,430
- Code
- 57020
- Physician work
- 1.46
- Practice expense
- 1.87
- Malpractice
- 0.25
GPCI2026.csv
40
- Locality
- Delaware
- Physician work
- 1.005
- Practice expense
- 0.988
- Malpractice
- 0.899
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.46 | × 1.005 | 1.4673 |
| Practice expense | 1.87 | × 0.988 | 1.8476 |
| Malpractice | 0.25 | × 0.899 | 0.2248 |
| Total RVUs | 3.5396 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Delaware$118.23
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.46 | 1.005 |
| Practice expense | 1.87 | 0.988 |
| Malpractice | 0.25 | 0.899 |
(1.46 × 1.005 + 1.87 × 0.988 + 0.25 × 0.899) × $33.4009 = $118.23
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.46 | 1.005 |
| Practice expense | 0.35 | 0.988 |
| Malpractice | 0.25 | 0.899 |
(1.46 × 1.005 + 0.35 × 0.988 + 0.25 × 0.899) × $33.4009 = $68.07
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.
57020 billing questions
When should I report colpocentesis instead of colpotomy?
Report 57020 for needle aspiration through the posterior vaginal fornix. Code 57000 involves an incision and exploration, not needle aspiration.
Can I report 57020 with another procedure in the same session?
The separate-procedure designation supports reporting it when the aspiration is independent, not when it is integral to a more extensive procedure. If separately reportable procedures occur in the same session, the multiple-procedure reduction applies to the lower-valued procedure or procedures.
Should I append modifier 50 for bilateral colpocentesis?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code; the descriptor or anatomy does not support a bilateral adjustment.
What documentation supports reporting 57020?
Document the clinical reason for aspiration, the posterior vaginal fornix route, the fluid obtained, and the findings. The note should make clear that this was an independent needle aspiration rather than part of another procedure.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
6,42756821,,Colposcopy vulva w/biopsy,A,,2.00,2.74,,0.65,,0.38,5.12,3.03,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,42857000,,Colpotomy w/exploration,A,,2.94,1.90,NA,1.90,,0.50,5.34,5.34,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,42957010,,Colpotomy drg pel abscess,A,,6.67,4.39,NA,4.39,,1.17,12.23,12.23,0,090,0.12,0.74,0.14,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,43057020,,Colpocentesis sep px,A,,1.46,1.87,,0.35,,0.25,3.58,2.06,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,43157022,,I&d vaginal hematoma ob/pp,A,,2.66,1.66,NA,1.66,,0.46,4.78,4.78,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,43257023,,I&d vaginal hematoma non-ob,A,,5.05,2.54,NA,2.54,,0.89,8.48,8.48,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,43357061,,Destruction vag lesions smpl,A,,1.27,3.39,,1.67,,0.22,4.88,3.16,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3704112,CO,01,COLORADO,1.012,1.064,0.781
3813102,CT,00,CONNECTICUT,1.020,1.077,1.210
3912202,DC,01,DC + MD/VA SUBURBS,1.054,1.178,1.113
4012102,DE,01,DELAWARE,1.005,0.988,0.899
4109102,FL,03,FORT LAUDERDALE,1.000,1.013,1.808
4209102,FL,04,MIAMI,1.000,1.041,2.529
4309102,FL,99,REST OF FLORIDA,1.000,0.956,1.503