$230.10–$256.22
57156 is for placement of a vaginal brachytherapy device; 57155 is for a uterine tandem and/or vaginal ovoid applicator arrangement.
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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
57155 Brachytherapy applicator Medicare reimbursement rates in Washington
Placement of a uterine tandem and vaginal ovoid applicators for intracavitary brachytherapy, commonly used to treat gynecologic cancers such as cervical cancer. Compare 57155 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 57155 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
$407.34–$451.72
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$239.93–$256.64
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.
Radiation oncology
About 57155: Uterine tandem and ovoid placement
Placement of a uterine tandem and vaginal ovoid applicators for intracavitary brachytherapy, commonly used to treat gynecologic cancers such as cervical cancer.
CPT 57155 covers placement of a uterine tandem through the cervix into the uterine cavity and vaginal ovoid applicators around the cervix, when that applicator arrangement is used for intracavitary brachytherapy. A radiation oncologist or another qualified physician typically performs the placement, often in an operating room or procedure setting with anesthesia. The applicators position the radioactive source for treatment of gynecologic malignancies, including cervical cancer.
Report the placement when the documented procedure uses a uterine tandem and/or vaginal ovoids; the record should identify the applicator arrangement and its placement for brachytherapy. The code represents applicator placement, not radiation dose delivery. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons are permitted, while team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 57155
- 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 permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU5.02 · 42%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.42 · 54%
- Malpractice RVU0.46 · 4%
2K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2476 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.
57155 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Washington, from the same CMS release.
$364.08–$415.67
77770 reports simple brachytherapy radiation delivery, not applicator placement. Use 57155 for the tandem-and-ovoid placement itself.
Compare 57155 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
$407.34
Facility
$239.93
Seattle (King Cnty) →
Office / nonfacility
$451.72
Facility
$256.64
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57155 billing questions
When should 57155 be chosen over 57156?
Use 57155 for placement of a uterine tandem and/or vaginal ovoids. Code 57156 describes placement of a vaginal brachytherapy device without that tandem-and-ovoid arrangement.
Does 57155 include radiation treatment delivery?
No. It reports applicator placement; report the appropriate brachytherapy delivery service separately when radiation is delivered and the requirements for that service are met.
Can modifier 50 be appended when applicators are placed on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 should not be used.
How does the 0-day global period affect same-day care?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in 57155. The code has no postoperative global days beyond the date of service.
Can an assistant surgeon report services with 57155?
CMS applies a statutory restriction to assistant-at-surgery payment for this code. Co-surgeons are permitted, but team surgery is not.
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.
6,44357130,,Excision vaginal septum,A,,2.40,3.83,,1.79,,0.42,6.65,4.61,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,44457135,,Excision vaginal cyst/tumor,A,,2.63,4.19,,1.95,,0.46,7.28,5.04,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,44557150,,Treat vagina infection,A,,0.49,1.03,,0.11,,0.07,1.59,0.67,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,44657155,,Insert uteri tandem/ovoids,A,,5.02,6.42,,1.66,,0.46,11.90,7.14,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,44757156,,Ins vag brachytx device,A,,2.62,3.87,,0.97,,0.21,6.70,3.80,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,44857160,,Insert pessary/other device,A,,0.87,1.09,,0.19,,0.15,2.11,1.21,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
6,44957170,,Fitting of diaphragm/cap,A,,0.89,1.13,,0.19,,0.16,2.18,1.24,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00