Billing code 50575: Kidney endoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Report diagnostic renal endoscopy for endoscopic examination of the kidney when the encounter does not include a separately classified biopsy or therapeutic maneuver.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 50575 in Texas.
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 50575 covers
This service covers endoscopic examination of the kidney through a nephrotomy or nephrostomy access route. A urologist typically performs it in a facility setting to inspect the renal collecting system, such as when evaluating a finding seen on imaging or assessing the kidney through an existing access tract. Irrigation or instillation may accompany the examination; a biopsy, stone removal, or tumor treatment changes the service being reported.
Select the diagnostic code when the documented work is examination rather than tissue sampling or treatment. The operative note should identify the access route, the area examined, and any additional work performed. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. For bilateral reporting, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. 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 50575 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Unavailable | $622.49 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $607.97 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $611.72 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $617.28 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $616.95 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $614.75 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $646.78 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $610.70 |
How the 50575 rate is calculated
Each of 50575’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 · 50575
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 13.61Practice expense 3.26Malpractice 1.75
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 50575
The CMS indicators that decide how 50575 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 50575
Kidney endoscopy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
50575 without 50 · national facility
$621.92
Kidney endoscopy
50575-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$932.88
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).
50575 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
50575 vs 50574 vs 50576 vs 50562: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 50574Kidney endoscopy
- This code is for diagnostic renal endoscopy; 50574 is the related choice when the endoscopy includes biopsy.
- 50576Kidney endoscopy
- Use this code for diagnostic examination alone. 50576 describes renal endoscopy that includes treatment.
- 50562Renal endoscopy
- Use 50562 when the endoscopic service includes renal tumor resection, rather than diagnostic examination alone.
50575 billing questions
When should this code be chosen over a renal endoscopy code for biopsy?
Use this code for diagnostic examination without biopsy. When tissue is sampled endoscopically, compare the service with the renal endoscopy biopsy codes, including 50574.
Can diagnostic endoscopy be reported with an endoscopic treatment code?
When the same endoscopic session includes treatment, report the code that describes the treatment performed rather than separately reporting the diagnostic examination. CMS applies endoscopy-family pricing when related endoscopies are performed together.
What documentation supports reporting this service?
Document the renal access route, the portion of the collecting system examined, the diagnostic purpose, and whether biopsy or treatment was performed.
How is bilateral performance reported?
For a bilateral procedure, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this code under the stated CMS rules.
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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