CPT code 43755: Gastric aspiration, multiple diagnostic specimens2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports gastric intubation and aspiration to collect multiple specimens for diagnostic evaluation, such as analysis of gastric contents.
Medicare pays $198.06–$215.31 for 43755 in the office in Missouri, from Rest of Missouri to Metropolitan St. Louis, MO. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 43755 covers
The service involves passing a tube into the stomach and aspirating multiple specimens for diagnostic evaluation. A physician, often in a hospital or other facility setting, may perform it when gastric contents are needed for testing, including acid analysis. The code describes obtaining multiple specimens from the stomach, rather than a single specimen or aspiration performed for treatment such as decompression.
Select this code when the procedure documentation supports collection of multiple gastric specimens; a single specimen is described by 43754. Record the diagnostic purpose, gastric site, and number of specimens collected. The service includes the intubation and aspiration; laboratory analysis is a separate service when performed. Medicare assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this single-organ service. Medicare may pay an assistant at surgery, but does not permit co-surgeon or team-surgery billing for this code.
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 43755 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$198.06 to $215.31
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | $212.75 | $53.74 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | $215.31 | $54.09 |
| Rest of Missouri | $198.06 | $52.08 |
How the 43755 rate is calculated
Each of 43755’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 · 43755
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.92
0.92 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.71
5.71 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.09
0.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.7200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$224.45
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 43755
The CMS indicators that decide how 43755 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 43755
Gastric aspiration, multiple diagnostic specimens
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 80 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
43755 without 80 · national office
$224.45
Gastric aspiration, multiple diagnostic specimens
43755-80 · Assistant: 16%
$35.91
A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.
43755 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 43754Gastric aspirationSingle specimen
- Both describe diagnostic gastric intubation and aspiration. Choose 43755 for multiple specimens and 43754 for a single specimen.
- 43753Gastric aspirationTherapeutic decompression
- 43753 describes therapeutic gastric intubation and aspiration, such as for decompression. Choose 43755 when the purpose is diagnostic specimen collection.
- 43757Duodenal aspirationMultiple specimens
- Both involve diagnostic aspiration for multiple specimens, but 43755 is for gastric contents and 43757 is for duodenal contents.
43755 billing questions
When should 43755 be chosen instead of 43754?
Use 43755 when multiple diagnostic gastric specimens are collected. Use 43754 when the documented service obtains a single specimen.
Does this code include placement of the tube?
Yes. The service includes gastric intubation and aspiration to obtain the specimens; do not treat those steps as separate services within the same procedure.
Does 43755 include laboratory analysis of the specimens?
No. It describes obtaining the gastric specimens, not performing their laboratory analysis.
What documentation supports reporting multiple specimens?
The procedure note should identify the diagnostic purpose, confirm gastric intubation and aspiration, and document that multiple specimens were obtained.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this single-organ gastric service.
How is same-day care handled?
The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Medicare may pay an assistant at surgery, but co-surgeon and team-surgery billing 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
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