$104.22–$117.33
Both describe changing a cystostomy tube. Choose 51705 for a simple change and 51710 when the documented exchange is complicated.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
51710 Tube change Medicare reimbursement rates in Washington
Reports a complicated exchange of an established cystostomy tube, such as a suprapubic catheter, rather than routine tube replacement or new catheter insertion. Compare 51710 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Washington.
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 51710 in Washington?
Washington has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$144.65–$162.41
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$73.60–$79.62
2 of 2 localities have a 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.
Urology procedure
About 51710: Complicated cystostomy tube change
Reports a complicated exchange of an established cystostomy tube, such as a suprapubic catheter, rather than routine tube replacement or new catheter insertion.
This service covers exchanging a tube through an established cystostomy tract, typically the suprapubic route into the bladder. A urologist or another qualified clinician may perform the exchange in an office or facility. The code distinguishes a complicated exchange from a routine change; it does not describe creating a new tract or inserting a temporary urethral catheter.
Report 51710 when the documented circumstances and work support a complicated exchange rather than the simple change represented by 51705. The note should identify the existing cystostomy, the reason the exchange was complicated, and the work performed. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 51710
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.32 · 31%
- Practice expense (office) RVU2.72 · 65%
- Malpractice RVU0.17 · 4%
16K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1233 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.
51710 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Washington, from the same CMS release.
$67.60–$76.47
51702 describes insertion of a temporary bladder catheter; 51710 is for exchanging a tube through an established cystostomy tract.
$158.73–$178.28
51703 describes complex bladder catheter insertion. It is not the code for a complicated exchange of an established cystostomy tube.
Compare 51710 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Rest Of Washington →
Office / nonfacility
$144.65
Facility
$73.60
Seattle (King Cnty) →
Office / nonfacility
$162.41
Facility
$79.62
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51710 billing questions
When should 51710 be chosen over 51705?
Use 51710 when the cystostomy tube exchange is complicated, as supported by the documented circumstances and work. A routine simple tube change is reported with 51705.
Does 51710 describe placement of a new catheter?
No. It describes changing a tube through an established cystostomy tract. Temporary urethral catheter insertion is a different service.
What documentation supports reporting the complicated service?
Document the established cystostomy, why the exchange was complicated, and the work performed. The note should make clear why the service was not a routine simple change.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral tube changes?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
How does the multiple-procedure rule affect payment?
For procedures 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.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, 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 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.
6,04751702,,Insert temp bladder cath,A,,0.49,1.40,,0.12,,0.07,1.96,0.68,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,04851703,,Insert bladder cath complex,A,,1.43,3.00,,0.40,,0.19,4.62,2.02,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,04951705,,Change of bladder tube,A,,0.88,2.03,,0.41,,0.12,3.03,1.41,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,05051710,,Change of bladder tube,A,,1.32,2.72,,0.70,,0.17,4.21,2.19,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,05151715,,Endoscopic injection/implant,A,,3.64,6.20,,1.11,,0.53,10.37,5.28,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,05251720,,Treatment of bladder lesion,A,,0.85,1.79,,0.18,,0.11,2.75,1.14,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,05351721,,Ins trurl ablt trnsdc thr us,A,,3.95,12.46,,1.31,,0.49,16.90,5.75,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00