CPT code 44120: Small-bowel resection, single resection with anastomosis2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Report 44120 for open removal of one small-bowel segment with primary anastomosis during treatment of disease, injury, or ischemia.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 44120 in Texas.
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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What 44120 covers
A surgeon removes one diseased or damaged segment of small intestine and reconnects the remaining bowel ends with an anastomosis. General and colorectal surgeons commonly perform this open abdominal operation for conditions such as bowel obstruction, ischemia, Crohn disease, tumor, or traumatic injury, usually in a hospital operating room. The service includes the resection and the anastomosis; a separate code is not reported for reconnecting the bowel as part of this operation.
Choose 44120 when the operative report supports one small-bowel resection with anastomosis. Document the affected segment, reason for resection, extent of bowel removed, and reconstruction performed. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation. Modifier 50 is not used to represent bilateral work, and CMS does not permit team-surgery payment 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 44120 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | $1,134.93 |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | $1,098.29 |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | $1,101.66 |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | $1,117.06 |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | $1,116.40 |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | $1,110.41 |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | $1,203.76 |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | $1,105.09 |
How the 44120 rate is calculated
Each of 44120’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 · 44120
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work20.30
20.30 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.62
8.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice5.10
5.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
34.0200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,136.30
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 44120
44120 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 44120
Small-bowel resection, single resection with anastomosis
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.81/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 44120
Small-bowel resection, single resection with anastomosis
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
44120 without 51 · national facility
$1,136.30
Small-bowel resection, single resection with anastomosis
44120-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$568.15
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
44120 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 44121Small bowel resectionEach additional resection
- 44120 represents the initial single resection with anastomosis. 44121 is the add-on code for each additional resection and anastomosis in the same operation.
- 44125Small-bowel resectionWith enterostomy
- Both involve small-bowel resection, but 44125 is selected when an enterostomy is created instead of reconnecting the bowel with an anastomosis.
- 44110Intestinal excisionSingle lesion
- 44110 describes excision of intestinal lesion(s); 44120 is appropriate when the surgeon removes a small-bowel segment and performs an anastomosis.
- 44126Atresia resectionWithout bowel tapering
- 44126 is for small-bowel resection for congenital atresia. 44120 describes a single resection with anastomosis for other clinical indications.
44120 billing questions
When should 44120 be selected instead of 44121?
Use 44120 for the initial single small-bowel resection with anastomosis. Code 44121 is an add-on for each additional resection and anastomosis during the same operation.
Is the bowel anastomosis separately reported?
No. Reconnecting the bowel after the resection is included in 44120.
How does 44120 differ from 44125?
44120 describes a resection with anastomosis. Choose 44125 when the resection is performed with an enterostomy instead.
What documentation supports 44120?
The operative report should identify the small-bowel segment removed, the clinical reason for resection, and the anastomosis joining the remaining bowel.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS may pay an assistant at surgery. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team-surgery payment is not permitted for this code.
Can modifier 50 be used for 44120?
No. Modifier 50 is not used to represent bilateral work for this small-bowel resection.
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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