Billing code 50070: NephrectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Removal of a kidney for a complicated congenital renal abnormality, reported when the operative treatment requires nephrectomy rather than correction of the anomaly.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 50070 in Ohio.
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 50070 covers
This code describes surgical removal of a kidney for a complicated congenital kidney abnormality; partial removal of the ureter may be included when needed for the operation. A urologist typically performs the procedure in an operating-room setting. The record should identify the congenital abnormality and explain why nephrectomy was performed, with operative details supporting the extent of surgery.
Report the code for the qualifying congenital-anomaly indication, not simply because a patient has a kidney stone or undergoes another renal operation. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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.
50070 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $1,036.37 |
How the 50070 rate is calculated
Each of 50070’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 · 50070
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work21.30
21.30 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.63
7.63 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.74
2.74 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
31.6700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,057.81
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 50070
50070 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 50070
Nephrectomy
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 50070
Nephrectomy
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
50070 without 50 · national facility
$1,057.81
Nephrectomy
50070-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,586.72
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
50070 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 50075Kidney stone removal
- This code is for nephrectomy associated with a complicated congenital kidney abnormality; 50075 is tied to removal for a large staghorn calculus.
- 50220Kidney removal
- Use 50070 for the specified congenital-abnormality indication. Code 50220 describes nephrectomy in a broader clinical circumstance.
- 50225Nephrectomy
- Code 50225 addresses nephrectomy complicated by prior surgery; 50070 is selected for the congenital kidney abnormality indication.
50070 billing questions
When should this code be chosen over a general nephrectomy code?
Use it when the nephrectomy is for the specified complicated congenital kidney abnormality. A general nephrectomy code may be more appropriate when that indication is not documented.
Does the code include removal of part of the ureter?
Partial ureter removal may be included when it is part of the nephrectomy for the congenital abnormality. The operative report should establish the procedure performed.
How is bilateral surgery reported?
For bilateral procedures, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, while team surgery is not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.
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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