Billing code 56740: Bartholin excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports surgical removal of a Bartholin gland or cyst, typically for persistent or recurrent gland disease when excision rather than drainage is performed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 56740 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 56740 covers
A gynecologist removes a Bartholin gland or cyst through a surgical approach to the vulvar vestibule. Excision may be chosen for persistent or recurrent disease when simply opening the cyst or creating a drainage opening is not the treatment performed. The operative report should identify the gland or cyst removed and the extent of the excision. Services are commonly performed in an outpatient operating room or an appropriately equipped procedure setting.
Report 56740 for excision, not for incision and drainage or marsupialization alone. Document the indication, site and whether one or both sides were treated. The code has a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. For bilateral treatment, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. 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% multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment is 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 56740 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 | $285.41 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $272.31 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $276.93 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $279.83 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $279.26 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $278.52 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $294.44 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $275.25 |
How the 56740 rate is calculated
Each of 56740’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 · 56740
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 4.76Practice expense 2.84Malpractice 0.87
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 56740
56740 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 56740
Bartholin excision
| 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 · 56740
Bartholin excision
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
56740 without 50 · national facility
$282.91
Bartholin excision
56740-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$424.37
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).
56740 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
56740 vs 56420 vs 56440 vs 56405: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 56420Abscess drainage
- 56420 describes incision and drainage of a Bartholin gland abscess. Use 56740 when the surgeon removes the gland or cyst instead.
- 56440Cyst marsupialization
- 56440 is marsupialization, which creates a drainage opening; 56740 is excision of the Bartholin gland or cyst.
- 56405Abscess drainage
- 56405 is incision and drainage of a vulvar or perineal abscess. It is not the specific Bartholin gland excision service represented by 56740.
56740 billing questions
When should 56740 be reported instead of 56420?
Report 56740 when the surgeon excises the Bartholin gland or cyst. Report 56420 when the service is incision and drainage of a Bartholin gland abscess.
How does excision differ from marsupialization?
Excision removes the gland or cyst. Marsupialization, reported with 56440, creates an opening intended to remain open for drainage rather than removing the gland or cyst.
Are related postoperative visits separately reportable?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure payment.
How is bilateral excision reported?
When both sides are treated, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be billed?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is subject to a statutory restriction for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What documentation supports 56740?
The operative report should establish that a Bartholin gland or cyst was excised, identify the treated side or sides, and describe the procedure performed.
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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