$999.45–$1,055.74
50433 describes placement of a nephroureteral catheter. Choose 50434 when the physician converts an existing nephrostomy catheter to that drainage route.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
50434 Catheter conversion Medicare reimbursement rates in Michigan
Reports percutaneous conversion of an existing nephrostomy catheter into a nephroureteral catheter, carrying the catheter through the ureter toward the bladder. Compare 50434 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Michigan.
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 50434 in Michigan?
Michigan 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
$803.41–$848.96
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$165.76–$174.99
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.
Interventional radiology
About 50434: Nephrostomy to nephroureteral catheter conversion
Reports percutaneous conversion of an existing nephrostomy catheter into a nephroureteral catheter, carrying the catheter through the ureter toward the bladder.
An interventional radiologist or other qualified physician uses an existing percutaneous kidney access to redirect a nephrostomy catheter through the ureter, typically positioning its distal end in the bladder. This changes the drainage route from a catheter confined to the kidney to one that traverses the ureter. Fluoroscopic or other imaging guidance and a contrast study of the collecting system or ureter may be part of the procedure.
Report 50434 when an existing nephrostomy catheter is converted; documentation should identify the prior access and catheter, the route established, and the final catheter position. Imaging guidance, associated radiological supervision and interpretation, and a nephrostogram or ureterogram when performed are included. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. For bilateral conversion, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 50434
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is 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
- 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 RVU3.66 · 14%
- Practice expense (office) RVU21.83 · 84%
- Malpractice RVU0.41 · 2%
1.8K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2548 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.
50434 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Michigan, from the same CMS release.
$521.04–$550.64
50435 is for exchanging a nephrostomy catheter. Use 50434 when the procedure changes the catheter route through the ureter rather than simply replacing the nephrostomy catheter.
$803.34–$848.75
50432 describes placement of a nephrostomy catheter. It does not describe converting an existing nephrostomy catheter into a nephroureteral catheter.
Compare 50434 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
Detroit →
Office / nonfacility
$848.96
Facility
$174.99
Rest Of Michigan →
Office / nonfacility
$803.41
Facility
$165.76
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.
50434 billing questions
When should 50434 be used instead of 50433?
Use 50434 when an existing nephrostomy catheter is converted to a nephroureteral catheter. Use 50433 for placement of a nephroureteral catheter rather than conversion of an existing nephrostomy catheter.
Is exchanging a nephrostomy catheter the same service?
No. A routine exchange of a nephrostomy catheter is reported with 50435; 50434 describes converting the existing access to a nephroureteral drainage route.
Can the nephrostogram or imaging guidance be billed separately?
Imaging guidance, related radiological supervision and interpretation, and a nephrostogram or ureterogram performed as part of the conversion are included in 50434.
What should the procedure note establish?
Document the existing nephrostomy access, the catheter manipulation through the ureter, and the final catheter course and position. Include imaging findings that support the conversion when imaging is performed.
How is bilateral conversion reported?
When conversion is performed on both sides, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
How does Medicare handle other procedures performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures in that session are paid at 50%. The code has a 0-day global period, and Medicare does not pay an assistant at 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.
5,91850431,,Njx px nfrosgrm &/urtrgrm,A,,1.07,8.03,,0.58,,0.12,9.22,1.77,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,91950432,,Plmt nephrostomy catheter,A,,3.90,21.54,,0.99,,0.43,25.87,5.32,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,92050433,,Plmt nephroureteral catheter,A,,4.92,26.73,,1.12,,0.53,32.18,6.57,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,92150434,,Convert nephrostomy catheter,A,,3.66,21.83,,0.92,,0.41,25.90,4.99,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,92250435,,Exchange nephrostomy cath,A,,1.77,14.90,,0.66,,0.20,16.87,2.63,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,92350436,,Dilat xst trc ndurlgc px,A,,2.71,1.02,NA,1.02,,0.35,4.08,4.08,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,92450437,,Dilat xst trc new access rcs,A,,4.73,1.41,NA,1.41,,0.57,6.71,6.71,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00