Billing code 51555: Partial cystectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Reports complicated surgical removal of part of the bladder, typically for a localized lesion requiring more than a simple partial bladder resection.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 51555 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 51555 covers
A urologist reports this service when surgery removes part of the bladder in a complicated partial cystectomy, such as resection of a localized bladder tumor that requires a technically involved bladder-wall removal. The operation is generally performed in a hospital operating room. The operative report should establish that the surgeon removed only part of the bladder and explain the complexity of the resection; the diagnosis alone does not distinguish this service from a simpler partial cystectomy.
Select this code based on the documented procedure and complexity, not merely the presence or size of a tumor. When the operation includes ureteral reimplantation, compare the code for partial cystectomy with that additional feature. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery 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.
51555 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $1,122.62 |
How the 51555 rate is calculated
Each of 51555’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 · 51555
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 22.60Practice expense 8.10Malpractice 3.11
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 51555
51555 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 51555
Partial cystectomy
| 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 · 51555
Partial cystectomy
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
51555 without 51 · national facility
$1,129.28
Partial cystectomy
51555-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$564.64
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%).
51555 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
51555 vs 51550 vs 51565 vs 51570 vs 51530: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 51550Partial cystectomy
- 51550 describes a simple partial cystectomy. Choose 51555 when the operative documentation supports a complicated partial resection.
- 51565Bladder surgery
- 51565 is the partial cystectomy code that includes ureteral reimplantation. Use it when the operative report documents that work.
- 51570Cystectomy
- 51570 describes removal of the entire bladder. This code is for removal of only part of the bladder.
- 51530Bladder tumor excision
- 51530 describes bladder tumor excision through cystotomy; it is not the partial cystectomy service reported for removal of a portion of the bladder.
51555 billing questions
How is this distinguished from a simple partial cystectomy?
Use this code when the operative report supports a complicated partial resection. A diagnosis of bladder tumor by itself does not establish that distinction; compare the documented operative work with the simple partial cystectomy code.
Which code applies when the ureter is reimplanted?
Compare this service with 51565, the partial cystectomy code that includes ureteral reimplantation. The operative report should show whether reimplantation was part of the procedure.
Is a bladder tumor removal through cystotomy the same service?
No. A tumor excision through cystotomy is a different procedure from partial removal of the bladder wall. Use the code that matches the documented surgical extent and technique.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; CMS does not permit team-surgery payment for this code.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in that session 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 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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