$452.61
50200 is for renal tissue obtained percutaneously with a biopsy needle; 50205 is for tissue obtained after surgical exposure of the kidney.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
50205 Renal biopsy Medicare reimbursement rates in Iowa
Reports kidney tissue sampling performed after surgical exposure, rather than percutaneous needle biopsy, when an open approach is used to obtain tissue. Compare 50205 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Iowa.
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 50205 in Iowa?
Iowa 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
$634.95
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Iowa
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 50205: Renal biopsy by surgical exposure
Reports kidney tissue sampling performed after surgical exposure, rather than percutaneous needle biopsy, when an open approach is used to obtain tissue.
A surgeon, commonly a urologist, exposes the kidney surgically and obtains tissue for diagnostic examination. This approach is distinct from passing a biopsy needle through the skin; it is reported when the kidney is accessed through an operative exposure to collect the sample. The service is typically performed in a hospital operating room when a surgical approach is chosen to obtain renal tissue.
Report 50205 for the biopsy performed through surgical exposure, not for a percutaneous biopsy or removal of kidney tissue as treatment. The operative report should support the surgical exposure and tissue sampling, including the side treated. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When performed in the same session with other procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation. Team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 50205
- 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 procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- 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 RVU11.98 · 56%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.39 · 30%
- Malpractice RVU2.98 · 14%
906
Medicare services in 2024 · #3036 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.
50205 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Iowa, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
50220 reports open removal of a kidney, not diagnostic tissue sampling with the kidney retained.
No office rate
50240 reports partial nephrectomy, removing part of the kidney; 50205 reports a biopsy obtained through surgical exposure.
Compare 50205 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
Iowa →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$634.95
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
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 50205 in Iowa.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
5,883
- Code
- 50205
- Physician work
- 11.98
- Practice expense
- 6.39
- Malpractice
- 2.98
GPCI2026.csv
53
- Locality
- Iowa
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.915
- Malpractice
- 0.397
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 11.98 | × 1.000 | 11.9800 |
| Practice expense | 6.39 | × 0.915 | 5.8468 |
| Malpractice | 2.98 | × 0.397 | 1.1831 |
| Total RVUs | 19.0099 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Iowa$634.95
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 11.98 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 6.39 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 2.98 | 0.397 |
(11.98 × 1 + 6.39 × 0.915 + 2.98 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $634.95
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.
50205 billing questions
How do I choose between 50205 and 50200?
Use 50205 when the kidney is surgically exposed to obtain the biopsy. Use 50200 for a percutaneous renal biopsy.
Is the pathology examination included in 50205?
The surgeon’s code reports obtaining the tissue. The pathology laboratory may separately report the examination, such as 88305, when performed and appropriately documented.
Can I report modifier 50 for biopsies of both kidneys?
CMS identifies 50205 as bilateral; modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Document the operative work on both sides.
What documentation supports 50205?
The operative report should describe surgical exposure of the kidney, tissue sampling, and the side or sides involved.
Does 50205 have a global period?
Yes. It has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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.
5,88050130,,Pyelotomy w/removal calculus,A,,18.35,7.02,NA,7.02,,2.36,27.73,27.73,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,8815015F,,Doc fx & test/txmnt for op,M,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,88250200,,Renal biopsy perq,A,,2.32,12.17,,0.74,,0.24,14.73,3.30,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,88350205,,Renal bx surg exposure kdn,A,,11.98,6.39,NA,6.39,,2.98,21.35,21.35,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,8845020F,,Txmnts 2 phys/qhp by 1 mon,I,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,88550220,,Remove kidney open,A,,18.21,7.59,NA,7.59,,3.04,28.84,28.84,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,88650225,,Removal kidney open complex,A,,21.33,7.64,NA,7.64,,2.75,31.72,31.72,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5006102,IL,15,SUBURBAN CHICAGO,1.007,1.027,1.772
5106102,IL,99,REST OF ILLINOIS,1.000,0.913,1.563
5208102,IN,00,INDIANA,1.000,0.927,0.486
5305102,IA,00,IOWA,1.000,0.915,0.397
5405202,KS,00,KANSAS,1.000,0.904,0.504
5515102,KY,00,KENTUCKY,1.000,0.889,0.915
5607202,LA,01,NEW ORLEANS,1.000,0.941,1.136