CPT code 44500: GI tube placement, long intestinal tube2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports placement of a long gastrointestinal tube advanced into the intestine for decompression or diagnostic use, such as enteroclysis.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 44500 in Massachusetts.
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 44500 covers
A physician or other qualified practitioner introduces a long tube through the nose or mouth and advances it into the gastrointestinal tract, commonly into the small intestine. The tube may be used to decompress the bowel or to provide access for a diagnostic study such as enteroclysis. This is distinct from placing a routine nasogastric tube that terminates in the stomach. The service is commonly performed in a hospital or other facility when intestinal access is needed.
Report 44500 for the long-tube introduction itself, not simply because a tube is present. Documentation should identify the tube and route, the intended destination, and the clinical purpose; when applicable, it should also describe the placement work. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery 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 44500 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston, MA | Unavailable | $17.19 |
| Rest of Massachusetts | Unavailable | $16.42 |
How the 44500 rate is calculated
Each of 44500’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 · 44500
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.38
0.38 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.07
0.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.04
0.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.4900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$16.37
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 44500
The CMS indicators that decide how 44500 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 44500
GI tube placement, long intestinal tube
| 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 | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
44500 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 43752Gastric tube placementNasal or oral route
- Choose 44500 for a long tube advanced into the intestine. Choose 43752 for naso- or orogastric placement requiring physician skill and fluoroscopic guidance.
- 74251Small bowel X-rayDouble contrast
- 74251 describes the radiologic enteroclysis examination and contrast infusion through an enteroclysis catheter; 44500 describes introducing the long gastrointestinal tube.
- 49440Gastrostomy placementPercutaneous, image-guided
- 49440 is percutaneous gastrostomy tube placement. It differs from 44500, which introduces a long gastrointestinal tube through the nose or mouth.
44500 billing questions
How is 44500 different from 43752?
44500 is for introducing a long gastrointestinal tube advanced into the intestine. Code 43752 describes naso- or orogastric tube placement requiring physician skill and fluoroscopic guidance, rather than long intestinal tube introduction.
Does 44500 include an enteroclysis imaging study?
44500 reports the tube introduction. The radiologic enteroclysis examination is described by 74251; documentation should distinguish the tube-placement service from the imaging service.
What same-day care is included?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. Care on a later date is outside this global period.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery modifier be used?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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
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