$274.15
Both describe cervical cone excision, but 57522 is the loop-electrode method. Use 57520 for a non-loop excision, such as cold-knife conization.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
57520 Cervical cone Medicare reimbursement rates in Iowa
Reports surgical excision of a cone-shaped portion of the cervix for diagnostic or therapeutic evaluation using a non-loop technique. Compare 57520 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 57520 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
$327.48
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Iowa
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$248.02
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.
Gynecology surgery
About 57520: Cervical cone excision, non-loop technique
Reports surgical excision of a cone-shaped portion of the cervix for diagnostic or therapeutic evaluation using a non-loop technique.
This code describes removal of a cone-shaped section of cervical tissue by a non-loop excisional method, commonly cold-knife conization. A gynecologist may perform it in an operating room when cervical dysplasia, glandular abnormalities, or concern for an occult lesion calls for a larger, oriented specimen that includes the transformation zone and endocervical canal. The tissue is submitted for histopathologic examination to assess the lesion and margins.
Choose this code for a non-loop cone excision, not a loop-electrode excision. The operative report should support the indication, method, tissue removed, and any associated steps. Fulguration, dilation and curettage, and repair may be part of the coded service when performed with the cone. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this single cervical excision. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 57520
- 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
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU4.01 · 37%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.99 · 56%
- Malpractice RVU0.79 · 7%
958
Medicare services in 2024 · #3004 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.
57520 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Iowa, from the same CMS release.
$138.13
A cervical biopsy obtains a limited tissue sample; 57520 removes a cone-shaped section for broader diagnostic or therapeutic assessment.
$135.97
Endocervical curettage samples tissue by curettage rather than removing a cone. Curettage performed as part of the cone service is included.
$179.22
Laser surgery treats cervical tissue by a laser approach. Code 57520 is for excision of a cone-shaped tissue specimen.
Compare 57520 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
$327.48
Facility
$248.02
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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 57520 in Iowa.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,503
- Code
- 57520
- Physician work
- 4.01
- Practice expense
- 5.99
- Malpractice
- 0.79
GPCI2026.csv
53
- Locality
- Iowa
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.915
- Malpractice
- 0.397
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 4.01 | × 1.000 | 4.0100 |
| Practice expense | 5.99 | × 0.915 | 5.4809 |
| Malpractice | 0.79 | × 0.397 | 0.3136 |
| Total RVUs | 9.8045 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Iowa$327.48
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 4.01 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 5.99 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 0.79 | 0.397 |
(4.01 × 1 + 5.99 × 0.915 + 0.79 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $327.48
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 4.01 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 3.39 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 0.79 | 0.397 |
(4.01 × 1 + 3.39 × 0.915 + 0.79 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $248.02
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.
57520 billing questions
How does this differ from 57522?
Use 57520 for a non-loop cone excision, commonly performed with a cold knife. Code 57522 describes cone excision using a loop electrode.
Can endocervical curettage be billed separately?
Curettage performed as part of the cone service is included in the code’s scope. Do not separately report the same-session curettage as a distinct service merely because it is documented.
When is 57500 more appropriate?
Code 57500 describes a cervical biopsy rather than removal of a cone-shaped section. Choose 57520 when the surgeon performs the larger excisional cone.
What documentation supports 57520?
Document the clinical indication, non-loop excision method, tissue removed, and operative steps. The record should make clear that the service was a cone excision rather than a limited biopsy or loop procedure.
Does the procedure have a global period?
Yes. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 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.
6,50057510,,Cauterization of cervix,A,,1.85,2.71,,0.87,,0.34,4.90,3.06,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,50157511,,Cryocautery of cervix,A,,1.90,3.45,,1.70,,0.34,5.69,3.94,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,50257513,,Laser surgery of cervix,A,,1.90,3.64,,1.68,,0.34,5.88,3.92,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,50357520,,Conization of cervix,A,,4.01,5.99,,3.39,,0.79,10.79,8.19,0,090,0.12,0.74,0.14,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,50457522,,Conization of cervix,A,,3.58,4.78,,2.71,,0.64,9.00,6.93,0,090,0.12,0.74,0.14,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,50557530,,Removal of cervix,A,,5.14,4.08,NA,4.08,,0.95,10.17,10.17,0,090,0.12,0.74,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,50657531,,Removal of cervix radical,A,,29.20,10.33,NA,10.33,,9.37,48.90,48.90,0,090,0.12,0.74,0.14,2,2,2,1,0,9,,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