No office rate
Use 50548 when the entire ureter is removed with the kidney. Use 50545 for laparoscopic radical nephrectomy when the ureter is removed only in part.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
50548 Nephroureterectomy Medicare reimbursement rates in Massachusetts
Reports laparoscopic removal of a kidney with the entire ureter, commonly performed for upper urinary tract cancer requiring nephroureterectomy. Compare 50548 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Massachusetts.
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 50548 in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1196.11–$1263.07
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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 50548: Laparoscopic kidney and ureter removal
Reports laparoscopic removal of a kidney with the entire ureter, commonly performed for upper urinary tract cancer requiring nephroureterectomy.
The surgeon uses laparoscopic access to remove a kidney together with the full ureter on that side. Urologists most often perform this operation for upper tract urothelial cancer involving the renal pelvis or ureter. It is typically done in an operating room with facility support; the operative report should establish the laparoscopic approach and the extent of the tissue removed.
Report this code when the kidney and entire ureter are removed laparoscopically, rather than when only part of the ureter is removed with a nephrectomy. The procedure has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 50548
- 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 RVU24.73 · 69%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.71 · 22%
- Malpractice RVU3.22 · 9%
2.7K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2239 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.
50548 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Massachusetts, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
50546 describes laparoscopic nephrectomy with partial ureter removal. 50548 is distinguished by removal of the entire ureter.
No office rate
50547 is for laparoscopic kidney removal from a living donor. 50548 is for kidney and total ureter removal, not donor nephrectomy.
Compare 50548 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Metropolitan Boston →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1263.07
Rest Of Massachusetts →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1196.11
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50548 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from laparoscopic radical nephrectomy?
This code represents removal of the kidney with the entire ureter. The radical nephrectomy code is used when the ureter is only partially removed as part of the kidney operation.
What operative documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the laparoscopic approach, removal of the kidney, and removal of the entire ureter. Include the clinical indication, such as upper tract urothelial cancer, when applicable.
Does this code have a 90-day global period?
Yes. The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in that session are paid at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery 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 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.
5,93550545,,Laparo radical nephrectomy,A,,24.43,7.91,NA,7.91,,3.18,35.52,35.52,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,93650546,,Laparoscopic nephrectomy,A,,21.32,8.03,NA,8.03,,2.96,32.31,32.31,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,93750547,,Laparo removal donor kidney,A,,25.68,14.12,NA,14.12,,6.31,46.11,46.11,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,93850548,,Laparo remove w/ureter,A,,24.73,7.71,NA,7.71,,3.22,35.66,35.66,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,93950549,,Unlisted laps px renal,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,2,1,1,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,94050551,,Kidney endoscopy,A,,5.45,5.14,,1.62,,0.70,11.29,7.77,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,94150553,,Kidney endoscopy,A,,5.83,5.48,,1.70,,0.75,12.06,8.28,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00