FeeBase
Log inGet started
Menu

CPT code 44322: Colostomy, with biopsies2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports creation of a colostomy during an operation that also obtains colonic tissue biopsies, such as sampling abnormal bowel for diagnosis.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities14 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $983.32 for 44322 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 44322

Colostomy, with biopsies

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
12.99
Total RVUs
29.44
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$983.32

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 44322 →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 44322 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 44322 covers

The surgeon creates an opening from the colon to the abdominal surface for fecal diversion and takes one or more colonic tissue samples during the same operation. A colorectal or general surgeon may perform this in an operating room when diversion is needed and tissue sampling is also part of the operative plan, such as when abnormal bowel requires diagnostic assessment. The biopsies are included in this service rather than representing a separate colostomy-only procedure.

Report this code when the operative record supports both creation of the colostomy and colonic biopsy sampling. Document the reason for diversion, the bowel segment used, stoma creation, and biopsy sites or specimens. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this anatomy. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require 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.

Where 44322 pays more and less

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

109 of 109 payment localities

44322 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$878.93
AlaskaUnavailable$1,176.57
ArizonaUnavailable$953.23
ArkansasUnavailable$866.10
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,014.80
Austin, TXUnavailable$996.18
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$988.03
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,049.33
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$936.07
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$957.46

44322 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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.

View every state and territory as a table
44322 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

How the 44322 rate is calculated

Each of 44322’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 · 44322

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work12.99

12.99 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense12.99

12.99 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice3.46

3.46 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

29.4400

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$983.32

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 44322

44322 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 44322

Colostomy, with biopsies

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 · 44322

Colostomy, with biopsies

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

44322 without 51 · national facility

$983.32

Colostomy, with biopsies

44322-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$491.66

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

44322 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 44322

    Colostomy, with biopsies12.99 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 44320

    Colostomy, open creation19.41 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 44310

    Small-bowel stoma, non-tube creation17.15 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 44143

    Partial colectomy, end colostomy, closed distal segment27.1 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

44320ColostomyOpen creation
Choose 44322 when colonic biopsies are obtained during colostomy creation. Choose 44320 for colostomy creation without that biopsy component.
44310Small-bowel stomaNon-tube creation
44310 describes an ileostomy or jejunostomy, using small bowel for the stoma; 44322 involves the colon and includes biopsy sampling.
44143Partial colectomyEnd colostomy, closed distal segment
44143 is for partial colectomy with an end colostomy. It represents bowel resection along with diversion, rather than colostomy creation with biopsies.

Codes related to 44322

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 44322
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
44320Colostomy, open creationColostomy creation without the biopsy distinction.No office rate
Used instead
44310Small-bowel stoma, non-tube creationFor diversion through the small bowel as an ileostomy or jejunostomy.No office rate
44143Partial colectomy, end colostomy, closed distal segmentIncludes partial colectomy with end colostomy when bowel resection is performed.No office rate

44322 billing questions

When should this be reported instead of 44320?

Use 44322 when the surgeon creates a colostomy and also obtains colonic biopsies during that operation. 44320 describes colostomy creation without the biopsy distinction.

Can the biopsy be billed separately?

The biopsy sampling is part of 44322 when performed with the colostomy. Document the sampled site and specimen in the operative record.

Does the code describe an ileostomy?

No. It describes a colostomy with biopsy sampling; 44310 is the related option for an ileostomy or jejunostomy.

What postoperative care is included?

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

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, with other procedures subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this anatomy.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 44322PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,385 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 44322 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 44322 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

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

Join the waitlist