Billing code 51530: Bladder tumor excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Reports open surgical access to the bladder to excise a tumor, rather than treatment performed through a cystoscope and urethra.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 51530 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 51530 covers
A urologist opens the bladder through an incision and directly excises a bladder tumor. This is an open operation performed in a surgical facility, with the removed tissue available for pathologic examination. It is distinct from treating a tumor endoscopically through the urethra and bladder using a cystoscope.
Report 51530 when the operative service is excision of a bladder tumor through cystotomy; the operative report should support the approach and tumor excision performed. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this bladder procedure. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team-surgery payment is 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.
51530 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $698.58 |
How the 51530 rate is calculated
Each of 51530’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 · 51530
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work13.37
13.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.76
5.76 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.72
1.72 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
20.8500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$696.41
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 51530
51530 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 51530
Bladder tumor excision
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.08/0.83/0.09 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 51530
Bladder tumor excision
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
51530 without 51 · national facility
$696.41
Bladder tumor excision
51530-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$348.21
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%).
51530 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 51520Bladder diverticulectomy
- 51520 is for excision of a bladder diverticulum. Use 51530 for excision of a bladder tumor through cystotomy.
- 51525Bladder surgery
- 51525 addresses bladder diverticulum excision with bladder-neck resection; 51530 addresses tumor excision.
- 51550Partial cystectomy
- 51550 describes partial removal of the bladder. 51530 describes tumor excision through cystotomy without coding the service as a partial cystectomy.
- 52235Bladder tumor resection
- 52235 is for cystoscopic, transurethral treatment of a medium bladder tumor. 51530 uses an open cystotomy approach.
51530 billing questions
How does 51530 differ from transurethral bladder tumor codes?
51530 describes direct excision through an open bladder incision. Codes 52234, 52235, and 52240 describe cystoscopic, transurethral treatment, with the applicable code selected by tumor size.
Does 51530 include treatment performed through a cystoscope?
No. The defining approach is open cystotomy with direct tumor excision; a transurethral procedure is reported with the applicable endoscopic code instead.
What documentation supports reporting 51530?
The operative report should identify the open approach, the bladder tumor, and the excision performed. It should distinguish tumor excision from removal of a diverticulum or partial cystectomy.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. Bilateral adjustment is inappropriate for this bladder procedure.
How does the multiple-procedure rule affect payment?
For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team-surgery payment 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 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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