CPT code 44388: Colonoscopy, diagnostic, through stoma2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports diagnostic examination of the colon using a scope passed through a stoma, when no separately coded therapeutic intervention defines the service.
Medicare pays $349.54–$384.97 for 44388 in the office in Florida, from Rest of Florida to Miami, FL. 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 44388 covers
A gastroenterologist or colorectal surgeon passes a colonoscope through a colostomy stoma to examine the colon. This approach is used when the patient’s anatomy or the clinical plan calls for examination through the stoma rather than through the anus. The service may be performed in an office or a facility. The report should identify the stoma access, the portion of colon examined, findings, and any sampling or treatment performed.
Select this diagnostic code when the examination is performed without a separately coded therapeutic intervention. If the endoscopist biopsies tissue, removes a foreign body or lesion, or treats bleeding, use the code describing that work instead. Medicare assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Modifier 53 is separately priced for a discontinued procedure. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Medicare does not pay assistant-at-surgery services for this code; co-surgeon and team-surgery services are 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 44388 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$349.54 to $384.97
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | $368.05 | $152.52 |
| Miami, FL | $384.97 | $163.48 |
| Rest of Florida | $349.54 | $146.14 |
How the 44388 rate is calculated
Each of 44388’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 · 44388
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.65
2.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.53
7.53 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.41
0.41 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
10.5900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$353.72
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 44388
The CMS indicators that decide how 44388 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 44388
Colonoscopy, diagnostic, through stoma
| 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 | 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| 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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
44388 without 51 · national office
$353.72
Colonoscopy, diagnostic, through stoma
44388-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$176.86
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%).
44388 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 44389ColonoscopyThrough stoma, with biopsy
- Choose 44389 when tissue is biopsied during colonoscopy through a stoma. This code describes the diagnostic examination without that biopsy service.
- 44392Stoma colonoscopyHot biopsy forceps removal
- Choose 44392 for lesion removal through the stoma using forceps or cautery; this code is for diagnostic examination without that therapeutic removal.
- 44394Stomal colonoscopySnare lesion removal
- Choose 44394 when a lesion is removed through the stoma with a snare. This code describes the diagnostic examination without snare removal.
- 44385Pouch endoscopyWithout tissue biopsy
- 44385 is for endoscopic examination of a bowel pouch. This code is for examination of the colon through a stoma.
44388 billing questions
When should the diagnostic code be replaced by a therapeutic code?
Use a code for the intervention when the endoscopist biopsies tissue, removes a foreign body or lesion, or treats bleeding through the stoma. The diagnostic examination is not separately reported as the defining service for that therapeutic work.
How is this different from colonoscopy through the anus?
This code describes scope access through a stoma. A colonoscopy performed through the anus is coded from the applicable non-stoma colonoscopy family.
Does this code cover examination of an ileal pouch?
No. Pouch endoscopy is reported with the pouch-specific code family, such as 44385, rather than this colonoscopy-through-stoma code.
How should modifier 53 be handled?
CMS lists modifier 53 as separately priced for this code. It identifies a discontinued procedure; the record should explain why the examination was stopped.
What happens when other procedures are performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and the other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. The code has a 0-day global period, which includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
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
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