$362.35
50551 describes diagnostic endoscopy through established access. Choose 50553 when ureteral catheterization is part of the documented endoscopic service.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
50553 Kidney endoscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Ohio
Reports renal endoscopy through an existing nephrostomy or pyelostomy when the service includes catheterizing the ureter, with specified collecting-system maneuvers. Compare 50553 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Ohio.
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 50553 in Ohio?
Ohio has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$387.09
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Ohio
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$271.82
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Ohio
One mapped payment locality.
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
About 50553: Renal endoscopy with ureteral catheterization
Reports renal endoscopy through an existing nephrostomy or pyelostomy when the service includes catheterizing the ureter, with specified collecting-system maneuvers.
A urologist passes an endoscope through an established nephrostomy or pyelostomy tract to examine the kidney’s collecting system and catheterizes the ureter. The service may also include irrigation, aspiration, or dilation of the renal pelvis or ureter. It is typically performed in a procedural or operating-room setting when percutaneous access is already in place; this is not the code for creating a new access tract.
Select this code when the documented endoscopic service includes ureteral catheterization through the established access. The operative note should identify the access route, side, ureteral catheterization, and any irrigation, aspiration, or dilation performed. Biopsy, lesion treatment, calculus or foreign-body removal, and tumor resection have distinct codes in this family. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 for a bilateral procedure is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 50553
- 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 RVU5.83 · 48%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.48 · 45%
- Malpractice RVU0.75 · 6%
90
Medicare services in 2024 · #4959 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.
50553 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Ohio, from the same CMS release.
$413.25
50555 applies when renal endoscopy through established access includes biopsy; 50553 describes ureteral catheterization without that biopsy service.
$476.46
50561 is for endoscopic removal of a calculus or foreign body through established access, rather than the catheterization service described by 50553.
No office rate
The access route distinguishes these services: 50553 uses an established nephrostomy or pyelostomy, while 50570 is for endoscopy through newly established access.
Compare 50553 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Ohio →
Office / nonfacility
$387.09
Facility
$271.82
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 50553 in Ohio.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
5,941
- Code
- 50553
- Physician work
- 5.83
- Practice expense
- 5.48
- Malpractice
- 0.75
GPCI2026.csv
85
- Locality
- Ohio
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.913
- Malpractice
- 1.008
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 5.83 | × 1.000 | 5.8300 |
| Practice expense | 5.48 | × 0.913 | 5.0032 |
| Malpractice | 0.75 | × 1.008 | 0.7560 |
| Total RVUs | 11.5892 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Ohio$387.09
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5.83 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 5.48 | 0.913 |
| Malpractice | 0.75 | 1.008 |
(5.83 × 1 + 5.48 × 0.913 + 0.75 × 1.008) × $33.4009 = $387.09
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5.83 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.7 | 0.913 |
| Malpractice | 0.75 | 1.008 |
(5.83 × 1 + 1.7 × 0.913 + 0.75 × 1.008) × $33.4009 = $271.82
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
50553 billing questions
How does this differ from 50551?
Use 50553 when the endoscopy through established access includes ureteral catheterization. Code 50551 is the diagnostic endoscopy service without that distinguishing work.
Can this code be used when the nephrostomy tract is created during the procedure?
No. This code describes endoscopy through established nephrostomy or pyelostomy access; use the applicable code for endoscopy through newly established access.
Which code applies when a biopsy or stone removal is performed?
Use the applicable family code for biopsy or for removal of a calculus or foreign body rather than reporting this catheterization service as a substitute.
Is same-day postoperative care separately included?
CMS assigns a 0-day global period, which includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
How is bilateral reporting handled?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is subject to a statutory restriction. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery 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 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.
5,93850548,,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
5,94250555,,Kidney endoscopy & biopsy,A,,6.36,5.68,,1.80,,0.82,12.86,8.98,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,1,0,0,0,9,50551,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,94350557,,Kidney endoscopy & treatment,A,,6.44,5.81,,1.82,,0.83,13.08,9.09,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,1,0,0,0,9,50551,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,94450561,,Kidney endoscopy & treatment,A,,7.39,6.47,,2.02,,0.96,14.82,10.37,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,1,0,0,0,9,50551,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8213282,NY,99,REST OF NEW YORK,1.000,0.950,0.703
8311502,NC,00,NORTH CAROLINA,1.000,0.933,0.639
8403302,ND,01,NORTH DAKOTA**,1.000,1.000,0.406
8515202,OH,00,OHIO,1.000,0.913,1.008
8604312,OK,00,OKLAHOMA,1.000,0.893,0.777
8702302,OR,01,PORTLAND,1.016,1.111,0.744
8802302,OR,99,REST OF OREGON,1.000,0.996,0.703