Billing code 50574: Kidney endoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Reports renal endoscopy with tissue sampling when a urologist examines the kidney and obtains a biopsy during the endoscopic procedure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 50574 in Guam.
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 50574 covers
A urologist uses an endoscope to examine the kidney and obtain tissue for diagnostic evaluation, such as sampling abnormal or suspicious tissue found during the procedure. The operative record should identify the kidney, the access route, the area examined, and the biopsy site or sites. This service is generally performed in an operative or procedural setting where the endoscopic approach and specimen collection can be documented.
Select this code when the documented renal endoscopy includes biopsy, using the specific access approach described by the code rather than choosing by the biopsy alone. The operative note should support both the endoscopic examination and tissue sampling; pathology documentation can identify the submitted specimen. The procedure has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy family pricing applies. For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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.
50574 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $486.28 |
How the 50574 rate is calculated
Each of 50574’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 · 50574
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work10.73
10.73 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.67
2.67 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.37
1.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
14.7700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$493.33
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 50574
The CMS indicators that decide how 50574 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 50574
Kidney endoscopy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
50574 without 50 · national facility
$493.33
Kidney endoscopy
50574-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$740.00
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
50574 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 50551Renal endoscopy
- Use a diagnostic renal endoscopy code when the service is examination only. This code includes tissue sampling during the endoscopy.
- 50555Kidney endoscopy
- Both codes describe renal endoscopy with biopsy in CMS short descriptors. Check the complete code descriptors and operative documentation to select the correct access approach.
- 50562Renal endoscopy
- This code represents endoscopic tumor resection, not biopsy sampling alone. Choose it when the documented service removes the tumor endoscopically.
50574 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 50555?
Both short descriptors identify renal endoscopy with biopsy. Use the code whose full descriptor matches the access approach documented in the operative report.
When is diagnostic renal endoscopy alone not enough?
When tissue is actually obtained during the endoscopic service, the biopsy distinguishes this service from a diagnostic-only renal endoscopy. Document the sampled site and specimen.
Is same-day care separately included?
The code has a 0-day global period, which includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
How are related renal endoscopies priced when performed together?
CMS endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together. Document each service performed and the distinct work supported by the operative note.
Can modifier 50 be reported for bilateral performance?
Yes. CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
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
Fee sheets
Put 50574 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →