Billing code 50715: UreterolysisMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Surgical freeing of a ureter encased or restricted by retroperitoneal fibrosis, reported when the operation releases the ureter from that fibrotic tissue.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 50715 in Utah.
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 50715 covers
This operation frees a ureter tethered or compressed by retroperitoneal fibrotic tissue, restoring its mobility and relieving external restriction. A urologist typically performs the dissection during abdominal or retroperitoneal surgery in a facility setting. The operative work centers on identifying the affected ureter and separating it from surrounding fibrosis; the code is specific to this clinical indication, rather than ureteral narrowing treated by dilation or reconstruction.
Report the code when the operative note supports ureterolysis for retroperitoneal fibrosis, including the affected side and the release performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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.
50715 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $1,086.77 |
How the 50715 rate is calculated
Each of 50715’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 · 50715
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 20.12Practice expense 9.14Malpractice 4.26
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 50715
50715 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 50715
Ureterolysis
| 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 · 50715
Ureterolysis
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
50715 without 50 · national facility
$1,119.60
Ureterolysis
50715-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,679.40
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).
50715 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
50715 vs 50722 vs 50706 vs 50700 vs 50780: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 50722Ureteral release
- Both involve ureterolysis, but 50722 is associated with a different clinical indication. Select based on the documented reason for releasing the ureter.
- 50706Ureteral dilation
- 50706 treats an intrinsic ureteral stricture endoscopically with balloon dilation; this code describes surgical release from external retroperitoneal fibrosis.
- 50700Ureter repair
- 50700 is ureteroplasty, used when the ureter itself needs plastic reconstruction. This code is for freeing the ureter from surrounding fibrosis.
- 50780Ureter reimplantation
- 50780 reconstructs the ureter by reimplanting it into the bladder. This code releases the ureter from fibrosis without defining that reconstructive procedure.
50715 billing questions
When is this code selected instead of another ureterolysis code?
Use this code for ureterolysis performed for retroperitoneal fibrosis. A different ureterolysis code may apply when the operative indication is a distinct condition, such as ovarian vein syndrome.
How does this differ from ureteral dilation?
This operation frees the ureter from external fibrotic tissue. Code 50706 describes endoscopic balloon dilation of an intrinsic ureteral stricture.
What documentation supports reporting it?
Document retroperitoneal fibrosis as the indication, the ureter and side involved, and the operative dissection that frees the ureter from the fibrotic tissue.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral work?
CMS identifies this as a bilateral procedure; bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
How are multiple procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the same session are paid at 50% under the standard multiple procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is 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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