0526U
What 0526U is
This code appears in the Medicare NCCI edit tables. It has no RVUs in the CY2026 Physician Fee Schedule file.
Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE)
Medicare caps 0526U at 1 unit per date of service for practitioner claims (MAI 2 - date of service edit (absolute): units above the MUE never pay), rationale: Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction. Units above the cap are denied unless the edit's adjudication rules allow an appeal with documentation.
Billed with 0526U? These codes are bundled into it
0526U is a Column 1 code in 18 active NCCI PTP edits. When one of these Column 2 codes is reported on the same date of service, it is denied as bundled - unless the edit's modifier indicator is 1 and documentation supports a distinct service with an NCCI-associated modifier.
| Column 2 code | Short description | Modifier indicator | |
|---|---|---|---|
0018M | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair | |
0088U | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair | |
0118U | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair | |
0319U | 0 - no modifier bypass | Check pair | |
0320U | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair | |
0493U | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair | |
36591 | Draw blood off venous device | 0 - no modifier bypass | Check pair |
36592 | Collect blood from picc | 0 - no modifier bypass | Check pair |
80503 | Path clin consltj sf 5-20 | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair |
80504 | Path clin consltj mod 21-40 | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair |
80505 | Path clin consltj high 41-60 | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair |
81265 | Str markers specimen anal | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair |
81267 | Chimerism anal no cell selec | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair |
81268 | Chimerism anal w/cell select | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair |
84311 | Spectrophotometry | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair |
88371 | Protein western blot tissue | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair |
88372 | Protein analysis w/probe | 1 - modifier may bypass | Check pair |
96523 | Irrig drug delivery device | 0 - no modifier bypass | Check pair |
Data: CMS CY2026 Physician Fee Schedule RVU file (October release, RVU26D) and Medicare NCCI PTP practitioner edits v32.3 (2026 Q4). Verify against the official files before billing or contracting decisions.