Billing code 51605: Bladder study prepMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports preparatory work for bladder radiography, distinct from the contrast-injection service used to perform cystography or urethrocystography.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 51605 in Washington.
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 51605 covers
billing code 51605 covers preparation for a bladder radiographic examination. It is associated with cystography and related studies in which contrast is introduced into the urinary tract for imaging. Urologists and radiologists may perform or oversee this work in an imaging department, hospital, or office setting. The service is preparation, not the radiographic interpretation or the contrast-injection procedure itself.
Report 51605 when the record supports that the preparation service was performed for the bladder study; document the intended examination and the work completed. Use 51600 for bladder contrast injection with catheterization, or 51610 for retrograde urethrocystography injection, as appropriate. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for this service.
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 51605 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $35.42 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $38.41 |
How the 51605 rate is calculated
Each of 51605’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 · 51605
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.62
0.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.36
0.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.07
0.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.0500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$35.07
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 51605
The CMS indicators that decide how 51605 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 51605
Bladder study prep
| 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) | 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
51605 without 51 · national facility
$35.07
Bladder study prep
51605-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$17.54
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%).
51605 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 51600Bladder injection
- 51605 is preparation for bladder radiography; 51600 reports bladder contrast injection and includes catheterization.
- 51610Bladder injection
- 51610 is the injection procedure for retrograde urethrocystography, not preparation for bladder imaging.
- 74430Bladder imaging
- 74430 reports the radiologic interpretation of cystography; 51605 describes preparation for the bladder examination.
51605 billing questions
How is 51605 different from 51600?
51605 describes preparation for bladder radiography. billing code 51600 is the bladder contrast-injection procedure, including catheterization.
Should 51605 be reported with the imaging interpretation?
The preparation service and the radiologist's interpretation describe different work. For example, 74430 reports cystography interpretation; document the preparation performed separately.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
How does the multiple-procedure rule affect 51605?
When it is performed with other procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are subject to the standard reduction.
What should the record support?
Document the bladder examination being prepared for and the preparation work performed. The record should distinguish that work from contrast injection and image interpretation.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 51605, and 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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