Billing code 50688: Ureteral stent exchangeMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Report this service when a clinician exchanges a ureterostomy tube or an externally accessible ureteral stent through an ileal conduit.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 50688 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 50688 covers
This service covers exchanging a ureterostomy tube or an externally accessible ureteral stent through an ileal conduit. A urologist or interventional radiologist commonly performs the exchange for a patient with urinary diversion whose stent or tube exits through the conduit. The access is the conduit and its stoma, rather than the usual cystoscopic route through the urethra. The exchange maintains drainage or replaces a device that is due for change or is no longer functioning as intended.
Report the service for the device exchange, not for ureteral stone removal or a separate new stent placement by another route. Documentation should identify the conduit access, the device exchanged, and the work performed. Medicare includes related postoperative visits for 10 days in the global period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, payment is 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; 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 50688 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 | $72.33 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $68.34 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $70.25 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $70.77 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $70.55 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $70.52 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $72.90 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $69.31 |
How the 50688 rate is calculated
Each of 50688’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 · 50688
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.17
1.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.83
0.83 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.13
0.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.1300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$71.14
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 50688
50688 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 50688
Ureteral stent exchange
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 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 · 50688
Ureteral stent exchange
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
50688 without 50 · national facility
$71.14
Ureteral stent exchange
50688-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$106.71
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).
50688 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 50690Ureteral injection
- 50690 describes ureterographic injection through a ureterostomy or indwelling catheter. Code 50688 is for exchanging the accessible tube or stent.
- 50693Ureteral stent
- 50693 is a percutaneous ureteral stent-placement service. Choose 50688 when changing an existing externally accessible device through an ileal conduit.
- 50610Ureteral stone removal
- 50610 is for ureteral stone removal; 50688 concerns exchange of a tube or stent through an ileal conduit.
50688 billing questions
When should I choose 50688 rather than a stent-placement code?
Use 50688 for an exchange of a ureterostomy tube or externally accessible ureteral stent through an ileal conduit. A new stent placed through percutaneous access is a different service.
Does this code describe removal of a ureteral stone?
No. It describes changing an accessible tube or stent through the conduit; ureteral stone extraction is a separate procedure.
What should the record show?
Document the ileal conduit access, the type of tube or stent exchanged, and the exchange performed. The record should make clear that the device was externally accessible through the conduit.
How does the 10-day global period affect follow-up?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure payment.
How is bilateral reporting handled?
When the procedure is performed bilaterally and reported with modifier 50, CMS pays at 150%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. 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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