51550 describes partial bladder removal; 51570 is for complete removal. Base the choice on the resection documented in the operative report.
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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
51570 Cystectomy Medicare reimbursement rates in Hawaii
Reports complete removal of the urinary bladder when the operation does not include the additional lymph node or urinary diversion work represented by other cystectomy codes. Compare 51570 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Hawaii.
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 51570 in Hawaii?
Hawaii 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
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1296.20
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Hawaii, Guam
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.
Urology surgery
About 51570: Complete bladder removal
Reports complete removal of the urinary bladder when the operation does not include the additional lymph node or urinary diversion work represented by other cystectomy codes.
51570 represents removal of the entire urinary bladder, rather than resection of only a portion. Urologists typically perform the operation in an operating room, often for bladder cancer when complete removal is planned. The operative report should establish the extent of bladder removal and whether pelvic lymph node dissection or urinary diversion was performed, because those details may point to a more specific cystectomy code.
Select this code for the complete bladder excision described by the operative record; use a partial cystectomy code when bladder tissue is only partly removed. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 51570
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are 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 may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU26.77 · 69%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.83 · 23%
- Malpractice RVU3.45 · 9%
67
Medicare services in 2024 · #5175 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.
51570 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Hawaii, from the same CMS release.
51575 includes bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy with complete bladder removal. Use it when that additional dissection is part of the documented operation.
51580 pairs complete bladder removal with ureterosigmoidostomy or ureterostomy. 51570 describes the complete bladder excision without that specified diversion.
51590 includes a ureteroileal conduit or sigmoid bladder with complete bladder removal. Choose by the diversion performed, rather than treating the codes as interchangeable.
Compare 51570 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
Hawaii, Guam →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1296.20
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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 51570 in Hawaii, Guam.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,034
- Code
- 51570
- Physician work
- 26.77
- Practice expense
- 8.83
- Malpractice
- 3.45
GPCI2026.csv
46
- Locality
- Hawaii, Guam
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 1.137
- Malpractice
- 0.579
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 26.77 | × 1.000 | 26.7700 |
| Practice expense | 8.83 | × 1.137 | 10.0397 |
| Malpractice | 3.45 | × 0.579 | 1.9975 |
| Total RVUs | 38.8073 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Hawaii, Guam$1296.20
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 26.77 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 8.83 | 1.137 |
| Malpractice | 3.45 | 0.579 |
(26.77 × 1 + 8.83 × 1.137 + 3.45 × 0.579) × $33.4009 = $1296.20
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.
51570 billing questions
How does 51570 differ from a partial cystectomy code?
51570 represents complete bladder removal. When the surgeon removes only part of the bladder, consider 51550 or another partial cystectomy code that matches the documented procedure.
Can 51570 be used when pelvic lymph nodes are also removed?
Check whether a more specific cystectomy code describes the operation, such as 51575 for complete removal with bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy. The operative report should document the extent of the node dissection.
How should urinary diversion affect code selection?
When the operation includes a urinary diversion, compare the documented diversion with the more specific cystectomy codes, including 51580, 51590, and 51596. Do not select 51570 without considering the full operative service.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for 51570?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days after surgery.
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.
