59410 Delivery

CPT 59410

CPT 59410: Vaginal Delivery Plus Postpartum CareVaginal Delivery Plus Postpartum Care

2027 change This code is scheduled for deletion on January 1, 2027, when CPT unbundles the global maternity package. Current rules apply through 2026 dates of service. See what replaces it →

The short answer

Use 59410 when your practice performs the vaginal delivery and provides routine postpartum care, but the antepartum side does not support the global package. It is the standard delivery code after a late transfer: the patient arrives at 34 weeks, you deliver, you see her through recovery, and you bill 59410 plus the antepartum code that matches your visit count. If you provided the whole pregnancy, bill 59400 instead; if postpartum goes elsewhere, drop to 59409.

Source: CMSSource: ACOGSource: CMS MPFS 2026

When to use 59410

Report 59410 for the delivery event plus the routine postpartum arc: the hospital recovery visits and the outpatient postpartum visits through the payer's global window. The antepartum visits you did provide are billed separately by count, which is the piece practices most often get wrong: 4 to 6 visits pairs with 59425, 7 or more with 59426, and 1 to 3 visits go out as individual E/M claims. The trap runs the other direction too. A practice that provided nearly all the antepartum care and the delivery and the postpartum visit has simply earned the global package, and billing components instead leaves money on the table.

Documentation checklist

The claim needs to show the delivery, the postpartum care you actually provided, and why the antepartum side lives on a different code.

✓ Delivery note with date, vaginal route, and any assistance used

✓ Transfer-of-care date showing when the patient arrived at your practice

✓ Your antepartum visit count, supporting the paired 59425, 59426, or E/M claims

✓ Postpartum visits documented within the payer's global window

✓ Prior practice identified so the payer can reconcile the antepartum claims

✓ One billing entity across the delivery and postpartum span

Global package rules

59410 is two-thirds of the global package: delivery plus postpartum, minus antepartum. It exists precisely because pregnancies change hands. The same outside-the-package rules apply as with 59400: ultrasounds, non-stress tests, labs, and problem visits with their own diagnoses all bill separately. See The Global OB Package, explained. ACOG When only the postpartum phase is provided without the delivery, see postpartum visit coding for the standalone rules.

Reimbursement

2026 · national Medicare averages

Component	Work RVU	Total RVU	2026 rate
59410Delivery + postpartum	18.76	29.23	$976.31

National amounts under the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (non-facility total RVU x $33.4009 conversion factor, no locality/MAC adjustment). Commercial and Medicaid rates differ. Verify current values with your MAC before billing.

Common denials

CO-97 Postpartum E/M bundled into 59410

Why it happens

Routine postpartum visits were billed as separate E/M services on top of the postpartum-inclusive delivery code.

How to fix

Routine postpartum care is inside 59410. Only bill E/M for distinct problems with their own diagnosis, with modifier 24 where the payer applies a surgical global period.

Source: NCCI

CO-236 59410 billed with a global code

Why it happens

The claim combined 59410 with 59400 for the same pregnancy, which payers read as double-billing the delivery and postpartum.

How to fix

One structure per pregnancy. Global when one practice provided everything, components when care split. Remove the conflicting line.

Source: NCCI

CO-50 Payer expected global billing

Why it happens

The visit history showed a full antepartum course at your practice, making component billing look like unbundling.

How to fix

If you provided the full span, rebill as 59400. Component codes are for split care, not a way to itemize a complete pregnancy.

Source: ACOG

CO-119 Overlap with the transferring practice

Why it happens

The prior practice billed a global code, so the payer already paid for delivery and postpartum once.

How to fix

The transferring practice corrects to antepartum-only codes for its visit count; you resubmit 59410 with the transfer date documented.

Source: CMS

CO-16 Date of service problems

Why it happens

Payers want the delivery date as the date of service on delivery codes; a postpartum visit date on the line rejects as unprocessable.

How to fix

Resubmit with the delivery date and consistent provider identifiers.

Source: CMS

FAQ

What is the CPT code description for 59410?

In plain language, 59410 covers a vaginal delivery, including any episiotomy or forceps assistance, plus routine postpartum care afterward. It does not include antepartum visits, which bill separately by count.

When is 59410 the right code instead of 59400?

When the antepartum side was not yours, or was only partly yours. A patient who transfers in late gets 59410 for delivery and postpartum plus 59425, 59426, or E/M codes for whatever antepartum visits you provided.

How many postpartum visits does 59410 include?

All routine postpartum visits through the payer's global window, typically about six weeks. Most practices now run a two-visit model, an early check and a comprehensive visit, and both are inside the code.

Can I bill 59410 with 59425 or 59426 on the same claim?

Yes, that pairing is the intended structure when you provided 4 or more antepartum visits along with delivery and postpartum but not enough of the pregnancy for the global package under the payer's policy.

What if a postpartum visit turns into a problem visit?

A distinct problem, like hypertension follow-up or a wound complication beyond routine care, supports a separate E/M with its own diagnosis code. Routine recovery checks do not.

CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. Educational reference only, not billing, legal, or medical advice. Maintained by Ouma Health, a maternal-fetal telemedicine practice. Printed from obcodingguide.com, content current as of July 2026.