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CPT 50065: Nephrolithotomy to Remove Renal Calculus
CPT code 50065 denotes a nephrolithotomy performed as a secondary procedure to remove renal calculus. As a surgical code for kidney stone removal, it is relevant across inpatient and ambulatory surgical settings and has implications for surgical billing, care coordination, and payer coverage determinations nationwide. The code matters because nephrolithotomy procedures can involve significant resource use, specialty surgical teams, and potential post-operative care needs.
Key payers covered in this overview include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find clinical context for when CPT code 50065 is used, the typical sites of service, and an outline of what to expect in payer coverage discussions. The publication provides benchmarks and policy context where available, highlights common billing considerations, and summarizes operative intent and clinical scenarios in which a secondary nephrolithotomy is coded.
This summary equips coding specialists, surgical teams, and revenue cycle professionals with a concise reference to the code's clinical purpose and payer landscape. Data not available in the input is identified explicitly; the document does not fabricate missing details and focuses on nationally applicable information rather than state-specific guidance.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 50065 describes a nephrolithotomy performed as a secondary procedure to remove renal calculus (kidney stone). Calculus refers to the accumulation of mineral salts or other materials in the kidney that form a stone; this procedure removes that stone when indicated.
Service type: Surgical procedure — open or percutaneous renal stone removal as a secondary operative intervention
Typical site of service: Hospital operating room or ambulatory surgical center, depending on clinical complexity and patient factors.
Data not available in the input.