CPT code 44126: Atresia resection, without bowel tapering2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in North Carolina

Reports operative resection of small bowel for congenital atresia when the surgeon restores continuity without tapering the bowel.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality

In North Carolina, Medicare pays $2,115.80 for 44126 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Not available in this settingOffice (non-facility)
$2,115.80Hospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 44126 nationwide

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

We’ll open 44126 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in North Carolina
  2. What 44126 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. Sources

What 44126 covers

This service covers surgical removal of an atretic segment of small intestine in a patient with congenital intestinal atresia, followed by reconstruction to restore bowel continuity. It is typically performed by a pediatric or general surgeon in an operating room, often for an infant or child whose atresia obstructs intestinal passage. The distinguishing feature is that the surgeon does not taper the bowel as part of the repair.

Report this code when the operative note supports congenital atresia, the small-bowel resection and reconstruction, and the absence of tapering. Document additional resection and anastomosis work separately when supported by the applicable add-on code. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed 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, and team surgery is 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.

How North Carolina compares for 44126

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 44126 runs from $2,007.16 in Wisconsin to $2,871.80 in Miami, FL. North Carolina pays $2,115.80. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

44126 in North Carolina vs other payment areas
  1. North Carolina · this page$2,115.80
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$2,316.68+$200.88
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$2,497.57+$381.77
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$2,871.80+$756.00
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$2,775.58+$659.78
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$2,677.24+$561.44
  7. Alaska · Alaska$2,842.30+$726.50

Other areas in North Carolina first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

44126 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama—$2,057.47
ArkansasArkansas—$2,029.99
ArizonaArizona—$2,215.37
Bakersfield, CACalifornia—$2,219.05
Chico, CACalifornia—$2,189.36
El Centro, CACalifornia—$2,191.20
Fresno, CACalifornia—$2,189.36
Hanford, CACalifornia—$2,189.36

44126 rates by state

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

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

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

View every state and territory as a table
44126 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

See 44126 in every payment locality

How the 44126 rate is calculated

Each of 44126’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 · 44126

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work41.17

41.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense16.20

16.20 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice11.05

11.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

68.4200

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$2,285.29

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

The exact North Carolina inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

5,338

Code
44126
Physician work
41.17
Practice expense
16.20
Malpractice
11.05

GPCI2026.csv

83

Locality
North Carolina
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
0.933
Malpractice
0.639
Facility calculation for 44126 in North Carolina
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work41.17× 1.00041.1700
Practice expense16.20× 0.93315.1146
Malpractice11.05× 0.6397.0610
Total RVUs63.3455
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, North Carolina$2115.80

Facility: (41.17 × 1 + 16.2 × 0.933 + 11.05 × 0.639) × $33.4009 = $2115.80

Open 44126 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 44126

44126 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 44126

Atresia resection, without bowel tapering

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.09/0.81/0.10Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 44126

Atresia resection, without bowel tapering

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

44126 without 51 · national facility

$2,285.29

Atresia resection, without bowel tapering

44126-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,142.65

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%).

When to use modifier 51

How 44126 has changed in North Carolina

44126 · Office / nonfacility

Rate unavailable

Effective 2026-10-01

A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release
Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01Not available in this setting$2,115.80RVU26D
2026-07-01Not available in this setting$2,115.80RVU26C
2026-04-01Not available in this setting$2,115.80RVU26B
2026-01-01Not available in this setting$2,115.80RVU26A
2025-10-01Not available in this setting$2,234.16RVU25D
2025-07-01Not available in this setting$2,234.16RVU25C
2025-04-01Not available in this setting$2,234.16RVU25B
2025-01-01Not available in this setting$2,234.16RVU25A
2024-10-01Not available in this setting$2,286.09RVU24D
2024-07-01Not available in this setting$2,286.09RVU24C
2024-04-01Not available in this setting$2,286.09RVU24B
2024-03-09Not available in this setting$2,286.09RVU24AR
2024-01-01Not available in this setting$2,248.78RVU24A
2023-10-01Not available in this setting$2,348.54RVU23D
2023-07-01Not available in this setting$2,348.54RVU23C
2023-04-01Not available in this setting$2,348.54RVU23B
2023-01-01Not available in this setting$2,348.54RVU23A
2022-10-01Not available in this setting$2,428.93RVU22D
2022-07-01Not available in this setting$2,428.93RVU22C
2022-04-01Not available in this setting$2,428.93RVU22B
2022-01-01Not available in this setting$2,428.93RVU22A
2021-10-01Not available in this setting$2,430.28RVU21D
2021-07-01Not available in this setting$2,430.28RVU21C
2021-04-01Not available in this setting$2,430.28RVU21B
2021-01-01Not available in this setting$2,430.28RVU21A
2020-10-01Not available in this setting$2,461.62RVU20D
2020-07-01Not available in this setting$2,461.62RVU20C
2020-04-01Not available in this setting$2,461.62RVU20B
2020-01-01Not available in this setting$2,461.62RVU20A
2019-10-01Not available in this setting$2,425.55RVU19D
2019-07-01Not available in this setting$2,425.55RVU19C
2019-04-01Not available in this setting$2,414.28RVU19B
2019-01-01Not available in this setting$2,414.28RVU19A
2018-10-01Not available in this setting$2,415.79RVU18D
2018-07-01Not available in this setting$2,415.79RVU18C
2018-04-01Not available in this setting$2,415.79RVU18B
2018-01-01Not available in this setting$2,415.79RVU18AR1
2017-10-01Not available in this setting$2,395.78RVU17D
2017-07-01Not available in this setting$2,395.78RVU17C
2017-04-01Not available in this setting$2,395.78RVU17B
2017-01-01Not available in this setting$2,395.78RVU17A
2016-10-01Not available in this setting$2,430.93RVU16D
2016-07-01Not available in this setting$2,430.93RVU16C
2016-04-01Not available in this setting$2,430.93RVU16B
2016-01-01Not available in this setting$2,430.93RVU16A
2015-10-01Not available in this setting$2,437.38RVU15D
2015-07-01Not available in this setting$2,437.38RVU15C
2015-04-01Not available in this setting$2,425.25RVU15B
2015-01-01Not available in this setting$2,425.25RVU15A
2014-10-01Not available in this setting$2,382.19RVU14D
2014-07-01Not available in this setting$2,382.19RVU14C
2014-04-01Not available in this setting$2,382.19RVU14B
2014-01-01Not available in this setting$2,382.19RVU14A
2013-10-01Not available in this setting$2,324.86RVU13D
2013-07-01Not available in this setting$2,324.86RVU13C
2013-04-01Not available in this setting$2,324.86RVU13B
2013-01-01Not available in this setting$2,324.86RVU13AR

Price 44126 for an earlier date of service

Where the North Carolina rate applies

North Carolina is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 785 cities and communities in North Carolina. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Aberdeen
  • Advance
  • Ahoskie
  • Alamance
  • Albemarle
  • Alexis
  • Alliance
  • Altamahaw

Browse all communities in North Carolina

44126 billing questions

How is 44126 distinguished from 44127?

44126 describes congenital-atresia resection without tapering. Use 44127 when the surgeon tapers the bowel as part of the repair.

Can 44126 be reported with 44128?

44128 represents each additional resection and anastomosis for congenital atresia. Report it with the primary procedure when the operative documentation supports additional work.

Does 44126 include reconstruction of the bowel?

The service includes reconstruction to restore bowel continuity after the atretic segment is removed. The operative report should describe the resection and the reconstruction performed.

How does 44126 differ from 44120?

44126 is specific to resection for congenital atresia without tapering. 44120 describes a small-bowel resection and anastomosis outside that atresia-specific service.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days.

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 44126PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,338 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for North CarolinaGPCI2026.csv, line 83 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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