$50.11
76857 is a limited imaging pelvic ultrasound with images and an interpretation. 51798 is a non-imaging bladder volume measurement.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
51798 Bladder scan Medicare reimbursement rates in Vermont
A non-imaging ultrasound bladder scan measures post-void residual urine or assesses bladder capacity when a documented volume measurement is needed. Compare 51798 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Vermont.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 51798 in Vermont?
Vermont has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$12.24
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Vermont
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
No supported rate
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Urodynamics
About 51798: Non-imaging ultrasound bladder volume measurement
A non-imaging ultrasound bladder scan measures post-void residual urine or assesses bladder capacity when a documented volume measurement is needed.
This service uses a non-imaging ultrasound scanner placed on the lower abdomen to estimate urine volume in the bladder. It is commonly performed just after a patient voids to measure post-void residual urine. A full-bladder measurement may be used when bladder capacity is being assessed; a pre-void reading alone does not establish capacity. Medical assistants, nurses, and technicians perform scans in urology, gynecology, primary care, and skilled nursing settings. Common reasons include suspected urinary retention, benign prostatic hyperplasia, incontinence, neurogenic bladder, and postoperative voiding complaints.
Report the scan when the record supports the clinical reason and documents the measured volume and whether the reading was obtained before or after voiding. CMS classifies 51798 as a technical-component-only code: its payment accounts for the scanning resources, while a separate code covers interpretation when separately reportable. Do not split 51798 with modifiers 26 or TC. An ultrasound examination that produces diagnostic images is a different service from this non-imaging volume measurement.
CMS billing rules for 51798
- Professional and technical components
- Technical-component-only code: a separate code covers interpretation.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.00 · 0%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.36 · 95%
- Malpractice RVU0.02 · 5%
1.9M
Medicare services in 2024 · #84 by national volume
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.
51798 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Vermont, from the same CMS release.
$44.00
51701 is a catheter insertion that can drain the bladder and measure residual urine directly. 51798 estimates bladder volume without a catheter.
$193.68
51725 measures bladder pressure during filling through simple cystometry and can assess capacity. 51798 estimates urine volume externally without measuring bladder pressure.
Compare 51798 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Vermont →
Office / nonfacility
$12.24
Facility
Unavailable
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 51798 in Vermont.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
6,087
- Code
- 51798
- Physician work
- 0.00
- Practice expense
- 0.36
- Malpractice
- 0.02
GPCI2026.csv
105
- Locality
- Vermont
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.990
- Malpractice
- 0.506
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.00 | × 1.000 | 0.0000 |
| Practice expense | 0.36 | × 0.990 | 0.3564 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | × 0.506 | 0.0101 |
| Total RVUs | 0.3665 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Vermont$12.24
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 0.36 | 0.99 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | 0.506 |
(0 × 1 + 0.36 × 0.99 + 0.02 × 0.506) × $33.4009 = $12.24
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
51798 billing questions
Can this be billed when a diagnostic ultrasound examination produces images?
51798 describes a non-imaging volume measurement. When the service instead includes diagnostic images and an interpretation, select the appropriate imaging ultrasound code, such as 76857 for a limited pelvic examination.
Can modifier 26 or TC be appended?
No. CMS classifies 51798 as technical-component-only rather than a code split into professional and technical portions. A separate code covers interpretation when it is separately reportable.
Can a bladder scan be reported with an office visit on the same day?
A medically necessary E/M visit may be reported with a distinct, medically necessary bladder volume measurement when the record supports both services.
Can straight catheterization and a bladder scan both be billed for residual urine?
If catheterization alone is used to measure residual urine, do not also report a scan. A scan followed by separately necessary catheterization to drain retained urine may support reporting both documented services.
What documentation supports the bladder scan?
Record the measured volume, whether the reading was obtained before or after voiding, and the reason for testing, such as suspected retention or incomplete emptying.
How is a bladder scan reported with a uroflow study?
A patient may void into a uroflowmeter and then have a bladder scan for residual urine. Report both when each distinct measurement is medically necessary and documented.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
6,08451797,,Intraabdominal pressure test,A,,0.78,3.79,,3.79,NA,0.07,4.64,4.64,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,08551797,26,Intraabdominal pressure test,A,,0.78,0.33,,0.33,,0.07,1.18,1.18,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,08651797,TC,Intraabdominal pressure test,A,,0.00,3.46,,3.46,NA,0.00,3.46,3.46,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,08751798,,Us urine capacity measure,A,,0.00,0.36,,0.36,NA,0.02,0.38,0.38,3,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,08851800,,Revision of bladder/urethra,A,,18.42,7.09,NA,7.09,,2.37,27.88,27.88,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,08951820,,Revision of urinary tract,A,,19.10,7.62,NA,7.62,,2.47,29.19,29.19,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,2,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,09051840,,Attach bladder/urethra,A,,11.08,5.92,NA,5.92,,1.63,18.63,18.63,0,090,0.08,0.83,0.09,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
10204412,TX,18,HOUSTON,1.008,0.993,1.376
10304412,TX,99,REST OF TEXAS,1.000,0.949,0.903
10403502,UT,09,UTAH,1.000,0.940,0.898
10514512,VT,50,VERMONT,1.000,0.990,0.506
10611302,VA,00,VIRGINIA,1.000,0.983,0.706
10709202,VI,50,VIRGIN ISLANDS,1.000,1.011,0.985
10802402,WA,02,SEATTLE (KING CNTY),1.050,1.227,0.817