Billing code 55040: HydrocelectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Nebraska
Reports operative removal of one hydrocele, typically for a symptomatic fluid collection around the testicle treated with hydrocelectomy.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 55040 in Nebraska.
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 55040 covers
This service is an operation to remove a hydrocele surrounding one testicle. A urologist typically performs it in an operating room for a patient whose scrotal fluid collection causes discomfort, enlargement, or other symptoms. The surgeon exposes the hydrocele sac and removes it as part of the operative treatment; this is different from draining fluid through a needle.
Report 55040 for excision on one side. The operative report should identify the treated side and document the hydrocele and the excision performed. For bilateral excision, use the bilateral code rather than reporting this code with modifier 50. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the following 90 days. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; 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.
55040 in Nebraska
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | Unavailable | $291.45 |
How the 55040 rate is calculated
Each of 55040’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 · 55040
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work5.31
5.31 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.41
3.41 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.71
0.71 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
9.4300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$314.97
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 55040
55040 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 55040
Hydrocelectomy
| 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) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 55040
Hydrocelectomy
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
55040 without 51 · national facility
$314.97
Hydrocelectomy
55040-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$157.49
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%).
55040 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 55041Hydrocelectomy
- Use 55041 when excision is performed bilaterally. For one-sided excision, report 55040; do not use modifier 50 to represent bilateral treatment.
- 55000Hydrocele drainage
- 55000 represents puncture and drainage of a hydrocele. Use 55040 when the surgeon removes the hydrocele operatively.
- 55060Hydrocele repair
- 55060 represents repair of a hydrocele, while 55040 is for excision. Select the code that matches the operative service documented.
55040 billing questions
How is 55040 different from 55041?
55040 is for excision of a hydrocele on one side. Use 55041 when hydroceles are excised bilaterally.
Should modifier 50 be added for bilateral excision?
No. Report 55041 for bilateral excision rather than appending modifier 50 to 55040.
When is 55000 reported instead?
55000 describes needle drainage of a hydrocele. Choose 55040 when the surgeon operatively excises the hydrocele rather than draining it.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this procedure?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 55040. 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 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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