CPT code 47535: Biliary catheter conversion, external to internal-external2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $848.38 for 47535 nationally in the office and $169.34 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $741.95–$1,167.66.

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

What 47535 covers

An interventional radiologist converts an existing external biliary drainage catheter by directing the catheter across the biliary obstruction and into the bowel, creating internal-external drainage. The service is typically performed in a hospital imaging suite for a patient whose biliary obstruction was initially managed with external drainage and can now be traversed. Diagnostic cholangiography, imaging guidance, and the associated radiological supervision and interpretation are included in the conversion service.

Report this code when the existing external catheter is converted, rather than when a catheter is newly placed or an existing catheter is simply exchanged. The procedure note should identify the prior external catheter, document the conversion and final catheter position, and support the cholangiographic and imaging work. The service has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. 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 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and 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 47535 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

47535 rates by state

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

How the 47535 rate is calculated

Each of 47535’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 47535

The CMS indicators that decide how 47535 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

47535 compared with similar codes

How to choose

47534Biliary drainageInternal-external catheter

Use 47534 for initial placement of an internal-external biliary drainage catheter. Use 47535 when an existing external catheter is converted to internal-external drainage.

47536Biliary catheter exchangePercutaneous

Use 47536 for exchange of an existing biliary drainage catheter. Use 47535 when the procedure converts an existing external catheter to internal-external drainage.

47533Biliary drainageExternal catheter

Use 47533 for initial placement of an external biliary drainage catheter. It does not describe conversion of an existing external catheter to internal-external drainage.

Codes related to 47535

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