CPT code 44900: Abscess drainage, open appendiceal abscess2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Report open incision and drainage when a surgeon treats a contained abscess arising from appendicitis without describing appendectomy as the procedure performed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 44900 in Texas.
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 44900 covers
This code describes an operation to open and drain an abscess associated with the appendix through an open approach. A general surgeon typically performs it in a hospital operating room when appendicitis has led to a localized collection and the operative plan is drainage rather than removal of the appendix. The operative report should identify the appendiceal abscess and document the open drainage performed.
Report the code when the documented operation matches open drainage; do not select it for appendectomy alone. It has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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 multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for the single appendix. 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.
Where 44900 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | $745.26 |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | $715.82 |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | $721.06 |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | $731.11 |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | $730.28 |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | $726.75 |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | $786.61 |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | $721.76 |
How the 44900 rate is calculated
Each of 44900’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 · 44900
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work12.26
12.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.74
6.74 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.27
3.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
22.2700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$743.84
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 44900
44900 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 44900
Abscess drainage, open appendiceal abscess
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.81/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 44900
Abscess drainage, open appendiceal abscess
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
44900 without 51 · national facility
$743.84
Abscess drainage, open appendiceal abscess
44900-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$371.92
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%).
44900 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 44960AppendectomyRupture with abscess or peritonitis
- Use 44900 for open drainage of the appendiceal abscess; use 44960 when the operation includes appendectomy for rupture with abscess or generalized peritonitis.
- 44950AppendectomyOpen approach
- 44950 describes appendectomy, while 44900 describes open drainage of an appendiceal abscess. Base selection on the operative service documented.
- 44970AppendectomyLaparoscopic approach
- 44970 describes laparoscopic appendectomy. It is not the open abscess-drainage service represented by 44900.
44900 billing questions
How does 44900 differ from 44960?
44900 describes open drainage of an appendiceal abscess. Choose 44960 when the operative service includes appendectomy for a ruptured appendix with abscess or generalized peritonitis.
What documentation supports 44900?
The operative report should identify the appendiceal abscess, state that the surgeon used an open approach, and describe the incision and drainage performed.
Can 44900 be reported with an appendectomy code?
Do not use 44900 as a substitute for the appendectomy code when the appendix is removed. The operative report must support the procedure or procedures actually performed; same-session procedures are subject to the multiple-procedure payment rule.
Can modifier 50 be used for 44900?
No. The operation concerns the single appendix, so modifier 50 is not appropriate.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; 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
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