CPT code 55880: Prostate HIFU2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound ablation of malignant prostate tissue, a treatment performed by a urologist for prostate cancer.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 55880 in Massachusetts.
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 55880 covers
Code 55880 describes treatment that uses a transrectal ultrasound probe to focus high-intensity acoustic energy on malignant prostate tissue. A urologist typically performs the procedure in a hospital or ambulatory surgical setting for prostate cancer when tissue ablation is selected rather than surgical removal. Ultrasound used to guide the HIFU treatment is part of the service described by this code.
Select the code when the documented treatment uses transrectal HIFU to ablate malignant prostate tissue; distinguish it from transurethral ultrasound ablation, cryoablation, and percutaneous electroporation by the treatment method and access route. The operative report should identify the HIFU approach, the prostate tissue treated, and the procedure performed. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
Where 55880 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston | Unavailable | $939.26 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Unavailable | $885.79 |
How the 55880 rate is calculated
Each of 55880’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 · 55880
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work17.29
17.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.83
6.83 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.21
2.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
26.3300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$879.45
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 55880
55880 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 55880
Prostate HIFU
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 55880
Prostate HIFU
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
55880 without 51 · national facility
$879.45
Prostate HIFU
55880-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$439.73
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%).
55880 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 55873Prostate cryoablation
- Choose 55880 for transrectal HIFU ablation; 55873 represents prostate cryoablation.
- 55877Prostate ablation
- 55877 describes percutaneous irreversible electroporation of prostate tumor tissue, not transrectal HIFU.
- 55881Prostate ablation
- 55881 is a transurethral thermal-ultrasound ablation service. The transrectal HIFU approach belongs to 55880.
- 55882Prostate ablation
- 55882 describes transurethral ablation using a transducer, rather than the transrectal HIFU treatment represented by 55880.
55880 billing questions
How is 55880 different from 55881 or 55882?
55880 describes transrectal HIFU treatment. Codes 55881 and 55882 describe transurethral prostate-tissue ablation, so use the code matching the treatment route and modality documented.
Can ultrasound guidance be billed separately?
Ultrasound guidance used for the HIFU treatment is included in the service represented by 55880.
Should modifier 50 be reported for treatment of both sides?
No. CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%. 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 is subject to a statutory restriction. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code.
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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