CPT code 44381: Ileoscopy, through stoma, with biopsy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports ileal examination through an existing stoma when the endoscopist obtains one or more tissue samples for diagnostic evaluation.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities136 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,067.49 for 44381 nationally in the office and $77.49 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $921.38–$1,519.21.

Medicare rate · 44381

Ileoscopy, through stoma, with biopsy

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
1.35
Total RVUs
31.96
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$1,067.49

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 44381 →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 44381 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 44381 covers

A flexible endoscope is passed through an existing ileostomy or other small-bowel stoma to examine the ileum and obtain one or more mucosal biopsies. Gastroenterologists and surgeons commonly perform this procedure in a hospital outpatient department or ambulatory surgery center. Biopsies may support evaluation of suspected inflammation, unexplained symptoms, or a known small-bowel condition; the report should identify the route, examined anatomy, and biopsy performed.

Choose this code when the examination is through a stoma and tissue is sampled, rather than reporting the diagnostic stoma ileoscopy code alone. Document the indication, findings, and biopsy site or sites. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. Do not use modifier 50; CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this anatomy and service. CMS payment is restricted for an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeon and team-surgery payment 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 44381 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

$921.38 to $1519.21

$921.38$1220.30$1519.21
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

44381 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$937.94$71.69
Alaska$1,153.58$99.22
Arizona$1,035.16$75.84
Arkansas$921.38$70.97
Atlanta, GA$1,085.04$79.19
Austin, TX$1,125.91$78.48
Bakersfield, CA$1,163.73$78.69
Baltimore area, MD$1,143.78$81.51
Beaumont, TX$975.58$74.68
Brazoria, TX$1,057.45$76.36

44381 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.

$921.38

$1,341.22

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

View every state and territory as a table
44381 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$1,153.581
AL$937.941
AR$921.381
AZ$1,035.161
CA$1,163.23–$1,519.2129
CO$1,131.861
CT$1,147.871
DC$1,251.551
DE$1,054.941
FL$1,025.61–$1,117.863
GA$958.78–$1,085.042
GU$1,204.391
HI$1,204.391
IA$977.651
ID$983.161
IL$982.23–$1,099.644
IN$990.351
KS$967.071
KY$954.151
LA$950.33–$1,008.282
MA$1,120.95–$1,265.962
MD$1,079.68–$1,251.553
ME$984.01–$1,056.252
MI$979.77–$1,035.802
MN$1,092.981
MO$927.04–$1,018.703
MS$924.691
MT$1,067.481
NC$997.321
ND$1,064.121
NE$985.671
NH$1,108.471
NJ$1,163.39–$1,233.402
NM$984.251
NV$1,067.561
NY$1,014.97–$1,267.415
OH$979.081
OK$957.441
OR$1,061.74–$1,179.622
PA$983.81–$1,111.092
PR$1,078.591
RI$1,101.291
SC$989.371
SD$1,063.721
TN$972.341
TX$975.58–$1,125.918
UT$1,005.911
VA$1,048.54–$1,251.552
VI$1,078.591
VT$1,054.521
WA$1,120.61–$1,299.502
WI$1,020.861
WV$936.751
WY$1,066.021

How the 44381 rate is calculated

Each of 44381’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 · 44381

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work1.35

1.35 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense30.44

30.44 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.17

0.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

31.9600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,067.49

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 44381

The CMS indicators that decide how 44381 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 44381

Ileoscopy, through stoma, with biopsy

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included.
Multiple procedures3Endoscopy family rules apply.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

44381 without 51 · national office

$1,067.49

Ileoscopy, through stoma, with biopsy

44381-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$533.75

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

44381 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 44381

    Ileoscopy, through stoma, with biopsy1.35 wRVU

    $1,067.49

  • 44380

    Ileoscopy, through a stoma, diagnostic0.85 wRVU

    $223.79−$843.70

  • 44361

    Small bowel endoscopy, biopsy, ileum excluded2.7 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 44385

    Pouch endoscopy, without tissue biopsy1.17 wRVU

    $245.16−$822.33

How to choose

44380IleoscopyThrough a stoma, diagnostic
Both describe ileoscopy through a stoma. Report 44381 when tissue is biopsied; 44380 is the diagnostic examination without biopsy.
44361Small bowel endoscopyBiopsy, ileum excluded
Both involve small-bowel endoscopy with biopsy, but 44381 is specifically performed through a stoma; 44361 describes enteroscopy beyond the second portion of the duodenum.
44385Pouch endoscopyWithout tissue biopsy
44385 examines an ileal pouch. Use 44381 for ileal examination through a stoma with biopsy, not examination of a pouch.

44381 billing questions

How does this differ from 44380?

44381 is for ileoscopy through a stoma when one or more biopsies are obtained. Use 44380 for the diagnostic stoma examination without biopsy.

Can the biopsy be billed separately?

The biopsy is part of the service represented by 44381; do not report a separate biopsy procedure for the sampling included in this endoscopy.

Is modifier 50 appropriate for an examination of both sides?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code and anatomy.

What happens when another related endoscopy is performed in the same session?

CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together. Document each procedure and its distinct work.

What documentation supports reporting 44381?

Document that the endoscope passed through a stoma, the ileal examination and findings, and that tissue was obtained, including the biopsy site or sites when known.

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be paid for this service?

CMS restricts payment for an assistant at surgery and does not permit co-surgeon or team-surgery payment for this code.

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 44381PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,404 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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