CPT code 43754: Gastric aspiration, single specimen2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports diagnostic gastric intubation with aspiration and collection of one specimen for analysis, rather than tube placement alone or therapeutic aspiration.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities34 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $339.35 for 43754 nationally in the office and $47.76 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $292.31–$481.14.

Medicare rate · 43754

Gastric aspiration, single specimen

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
0.44
Total RVUs
10.16
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$339.35

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 43754 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 43754 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 43754 covers

A clinician passes a tube into the stomach and aspirates gastric contents to obtain one specimen for diagnostic analysis. The service may be performed in a hospital or another setting where gastric sampling is clinically indicated. It is distinct from placing a gastric tube without diagnostic aspiration and from using intubation and aspiration for treatment.

Report this code when the documented service includes diagnostic gastric aspiration and collection of a single specimen. Documentation should identify the gastric sampling and the specimen collected; when multiple specimens are obtained, the corresponding multiple-specimen code is the relevant comparison. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

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.

Where 43754 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 payment localities

$292.31 to $481.14

$292.31$386.73$481.14
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

43754 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$297.64$42.49
Alaska$365.92$55.37
Arizona$328.87$46.32
Arkansas$292.31$41.84
Atlanta, GA$345.27$49.02
Austin, TX$357.58$49.08
Bakersfield, CA$369.01$49.43
Baltimore area, MD$363.89$51.01
Beaumont, TX$310.20$44.86
Brazoria, TX$335.77$46.81

43754 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$292.31

$424.92

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
43754 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$365.921
AL$297.641
AR$292.311
AZ$328.871
CA$368.71–$481.1429
CO$359.271
CT$365.131
DC$397.701
DE$335.201
FL$327.08–$358.133
GA$305.39–$345.272
GU$381.781
HI$381.781
IA$309.851
ID$311.741
IL$313.50–$350.964
IN$314.031
KS$306.721
KY$303.411
LA$302.29–$320.912
MA$355.85–$401.822
MD$343.05–$397.703
ME$312.29–$335.112
MI$311.90–$330.642
MN$346.081
MO$294.96–$323.953
MS$293.781
MT$339.351
NC$316.521
ND$337.171
NE$312.351
NH$352.051
NJ$369.83–$391.892
NM$313.451
NV$339.061
NY$322.21–$404.115
OH$311.461
OK$304.191
OR$336.98–$374.282
PA$312.83–$353.492
PR$342.831
RI$349.831
SC$314.411
SD$336.911
TN$308.441
TX$310.20–$357.588
UT$319.721
VA$332.82–$397.702
VI$342.831
VT$334.331
WA$355.68–$412.282
WI$323.331
WV$298.891
WY$338.401

How the 43754 rate is calculated

Each of 43754’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

How the rate is built · 43754

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work0.44

0.44 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense9.61

9.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.11

0.11 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

10.1600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$339.35

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 43754

The CMS indicators that decide how 43754 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 43754

Gastric aspiration, single specimen

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 80 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

43754 without 80 · national office

$339.35

Gastric aspiration, single specimen

43754-80 · Assistant: 16%

$54.30

A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.

When to use modifier 80

43754 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 43754

    Gastric aspiration, single specimen0.44 wRVU

    $339.35

  • 43755

    Gastric aspiration, multiple diagnostic specimens0.92 wRVU

    $224.45−$114.90

  • 43752

    Gastric tube placement, nasal or oral route0.79 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 43753

    Gastric aspiration, therapeutic decompression0.44 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 43756

    Duodenal aspiration, single specimen0.75 wRVU

    $303.28−$36.07

How to choose

43755Gastric aspirationMultiple diagnostic specimens
Both describe diagnostic gastric sampling; choose 43754 for one specimen and 43755 when multiple specimens are collected.
43752Gastric tube placementNasal or oral route
43752 represents gastric tube placement. This code requires diagnostic aspiration and collection of a gastric specimen.
43753Gastric aspirationTherapeutic decompression
43753 is therapeutic gastric intubation and aspiration; this code is for diagnostic sampling of one specimen.
43756Duodenal aspirationSingle specimen
43756 is diagnostic sampling from the duodenum. This code is for a single gastric specimen.

43754 billing questions

When should this code be chosen over 43755?

Use this code for diagnostic gastric aspiration with one specimen. Code 43755 is the multiple-specimen counterpart.

Is gastric tube placement by itself enough to report this code?

No. The service includes diagnostic aspiration and collection of a specimen; tube placement alone is represented by 43752.

How does this differ from 43753?

This code describes diagnostic sampling of one gastric specimen. Code 43753 is for therapeutic gastric intubation and aspiration.

Can modifier 50 be used for aspiration from both sides?

No. Bilateral adjustment is inappropriate for this gastric procedure.

What same-day care is included in the global period?

The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.

Can an assistant or another surgeon be reported?

CMS permits payment for an assistant at surgery. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 43754PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,285 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 43754 pays?

Tell us what you were actually trying to work out. We’ll answer you directly, or build the page that does.

Fee sheets · Coming soon

Put 43754 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.

Join the waitlist