Billing code 59030: Fetal blood samplingMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Intrapartum fetal scalp blood sampling obtains a specimen for fetal acid-base assessment when labor findings raise concern about fetal well-being.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 59030 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 59030 covers
During labor, the obstetrician obtains a small blood specimen from the presenting fetal scalp through the cervix to assess fetal acid-base status, often after a concerning fetal heart-rate pattern. The result can help guide whether labor may continue or delivery should be expedited. The procedure is performed in labor and delivery when the cervix and ruptured membranes permit access; it is distinct from prenatal blood sampling through the umbilical cord.
Report 59030 for the scalp sampling procedure. Documentation should identify the intrapartum indication, sampling site, and procedure, along with the clinical assessment and resulting management. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are paid at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented; 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.
59030 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $95.97 |
How the 59030 rate is calculated
Each of 59030’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 · 59030
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.94Practice expense 0.41Malpractice 0.61
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 59030
The CMS indicators that decide how 59030 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 59030
Fetal blood sampling
| 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 | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
59030 without 51 · national facility
$98.87
Fetal blood sampling
59030-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$49.44
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
59030 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
59030 vs 59012 vs 59050 vs 59051 vs 59025: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 59012Cordocentesis
- 59012 is fetal blood sampling by prenatal cord puncture; 59030 obtains the specimen from the fetal scalp during labor.
- 59050Labor monitoring
- 59050 reports intrapartum fetal monitoring with a report. It does not represent obtaining a fetal scalp blood specimen.
- 59051Fetal monitoring
- 59051 covers fetal monitoring interpretation only; 59030 represents the separate scalp sampling procedure.
- 59025Fetal testing
- 59025 is a fetal non-stress test, generally used for antepartum surveillance. 59030 is an intrapartum specimen-collection procedure.
59030 billing questions
When should 59030 be reported instead of fetal heart-rate monitoring?
Report 59030 when a blood specimen is obtained from the fetal scalp during labor. Monitoring records or interprets fetal heart-rate activity but does not include this sampling procedure.
How is 59030 distinguished from fetal cord blood sampling?
59030 is for obtaining blood from the fetal scalp during labor. Code 59012 describes fetal blood sampling by prenatal cord puncture.
Can modifier 50 be used for 59030?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
What same-session payment rule applies when another procedure is performed?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedure is paid at 50%.
What documentation supports reporting 59030?
Document the intrapartum reason for sampling, the fetal scalp sampling site, and the procedure performed. Include the clinical assessment and how the result affected management.
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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