CPT code 47120: Liver resection, partial hepatectomy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $2,166.72 for 47120 nationally in a facility.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 47120 covers

A surgeon removes a portion of the liver as treatment for a localized condition, commonly a primary liver tumor or metastasis such as colorectal cancer spread to the liver. The procedure is performed in an operating room, typically in a hospital facility. The operative report should establish that the surgeon performed a therapeutic resection, rather than taking a wedge solely to obtain a diagnostic specimen.

Select this code from the resection performed, not just the diagnosis or specimen label. Document the indication, the liver tissue removed, and the operative extent so the service can be distinguished from a wedge biopsy and more extensive liver resections. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this single-organ resection. Assistant-at-surgery services 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 47120 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

47120 rates by state

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

How the 47120 rate is calculated

Each of 47120’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 47120

47120 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

47120 compared with similar codes

How to choose

47100Liver biopsyWedge tissue sample

47100 is for a wedge biopsy of liver tissue. Use 47120 when the surgeon performs a therapeutic partial resection rather than taking a wedge for diagnostic sampling.

47122Liver resectionTrisegmentectomy

47122 describes a trisegmentectomy, a more extensive liver resection. Choose based on the operation documented, not simply the presence of a liver tumor.

47125Liver resectionComplete left-lobe resection

47125 is for a left liver lobectomy. Use 47120 when the documented resection is a partial hepatectomy rather than that lobectomy.

47130Liver resectionWith hepatic duct reconstruction

47130 is for a right liver lobectomy. Use 47120 when the documented resection is a partial hepatectomy rather than that lobectomy.

Codes related to 47120

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates