The CMS files behind every number here
Every rate on this site is computed from data files the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) publishes for free. CMS lists them under cryptic codes like RVU26A with little explanation — this section labels each release in plain language, links the official download, and documents what's inside.
Physician Fee Schedule relative value files
The quarterly RVU zips (RVU26A, RVU25D, …) carrying every code's RVUs and status indicator, the locality GPCIs, the conversion factor, and the anesthesia conversion factors — the inputs to every Medicare PFS rate on this site.
7 releases ingested · latest: July 2026
ZIP code to carrier locality files
The quarterly crosswalk mapping every 5-digit ZIP code to the Medicare payment locality whose GPCIs price claims from that ZIP.
1 release ingested · latest: July 2026
NCCI edit files (PTP and MUE)
The quarterly procedure-to-procedure (PTP) pairs and medically-unlikely-edit (MUE) unit limits that decide which code combinations and quantities Medicare will pay together.
1 release ingested · latest: July 2026
Anesthesia base unit files
The base units per anesthesia CPT code that anchor the anesthesia payment formula. Published irregularly — only when the units actually change, which is rare.
1 release ingested · latest: January 2022
How CMS publishes these files
Most of the files follow a quarterly cycle: an A release takes effect January 1, B on April 1, C on July 1, and D on October 1. The January release is the big one — it carries the new calendar year's RVUs and conversion factor from the final rule — while B/C/D pick up corrections and newly priced codes during the year.
CMS also revises files mid-quarter: when it finds an error after publishing, it re-posts the file (often with an "R" in the name) rather than waiting for the next quarter. We ingest each revision as its own immutable version, so a number you looked up last month stays reproducible even after CMS replaces the file it came from.
One caveat about linking CMS directly: cms.gov reorganizes often, and direct file links rot. Every release page here links both the direct download we ingested from and the stable CMS landing page as a fallback. Our methodology covers how we parse and verify the files.