CPT code 47537: Biliary catheter removal, percutaneous removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Report percutaneous removal of a biliary drainage catheter when drainage is no longer needed, with fluoroscopic guidance included in the service.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.8K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $462.60 for 47537 nationally in the office and $83.84 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $403.51–$641.17.

Medicare rate · 47537

Biliary catheter removal, percutaneous removal

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
1.79
Total RVUs
13.85
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$462.60

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 47537 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 47537 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 47537 covers

An interventional radiologist typically removes a biliary drainage catheter through its existing percutaneous tract when the underlying obstruction or leak has resolved, or internal drainage is adequate. This may follow a successful capping trial or other assessment showing that continued external drainage is unnecessary. The service removes the catheter; it does not describe replacing it or converting it to another catheter configuration. Fluoroscopic guidance associated with removal is included.

Report 47537 for the removal itself, supported by a procedure note documenting the catheter removed, the reason it was no longer needed, and the removal performed. The code 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 for this service. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, 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 47537 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 payment localities

$403.51 to $641.17

$403.51$522.34$641.17
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

47537 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$410.19$78.77
Alaska$515.25$111.86
Arizona$449.36$82.34
Arkansas$403.51$78.15
Atlanta, GA$470.46$85.64
Austin, TX$484.94$84.20
Bakersfield, CA$499.16$84.03
Baltimore area, MD$494.06$87.64
Beaumont, TX$426.48$81.80
Brazoria, TX$458.05$82.69

47537 rates by state

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

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$403.51

$569.86

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
47537 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$515.251
AL$410.191
AR$403.511
AZ$449.361
CA$498.55–$641.1729
CO$487.211
CT$495.701
DC$537.101
DE$457.471
FL$448.53–$489.063
GA$421.10–$470.462
GU$514.061
HI$514.061
IA$424.901
ID$427.391
IL$431.90–$478.874
IN$430.251
KS$421.261
KY$418.061
LA$416.77–$440.142
MA$483.20–$541.172
MD$467.41–$537.103
ME$428.39–$456.572
MI$429.00–$453.322
MN$469.391
MO$407.76–$443.603
MS$405.801
MT$462.591
NC$433.651
ND$458.631
NE$427.951
NH$478.011
NJ$502.09–$530.202
NM$431.071
NV$461.881
NY$440.81–$547.025
OH$428.191
OK$418.731
OR$459.03–$505.822
PA$429.75–$481.212
PR$466.861
RI$476.091
SC$431.491
SD$458.171
TN$423.461
TX$426.48–$484.948
UT$438.151
VA$453.90–$537.102
VI$466.861
VT$455.341
WA$482.78–$554.292
WI$441.341
WV$413.591
WY$460.871

How the 47537 rate is calculated

Each of 47537’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 · 47537

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work1.79

1.79 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense11.86

11.86 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.20

0.20 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

13.8500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$462.60

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 47537

The CMS indicators that decide how 47537 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 47537

Biliary catheter removal, percutaneous removal

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

47537 without 51 · national office

$462.60

Biliary catheter removal, percutaneous removal

47537-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$231.30

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%).

When to use modifier 51

47537 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 47537

    Biliary catheter removal, percutaneous removal1.79 wRVU

    $462.60

  • 47536

    Biliary catheter exchange, percutaneous2.54 wRVU

    $604.56+$141.96

  • 47535

    Biliary catheter conversion, external to internal-external3.85 wRVU

    $848.38+$385.78

  • 47533

    Biliary drainage, external catheter5.25 wRVU

    $1,110.91+$648.31

How to choose

47536Biliary catheter exchangePercutaneous
47537 removes the catheter without replacement; 47536 describes exchanging an existing catheter for another.
47535Biliary catheter conversionExternal to internal-external
47537 ends catheter drainage by removal. Choose 47535 when the external catheter is converted to an internal-external configuration.
47533Biliary drainageExternal catheter
47537 removes an existing biliary drainage catheter; 47533 is for percutaneous placement of a new external drainage catheter.

47537 billing questions

How is removal different from catheter exchange?

Use 47537 when the biliary drainage catheter is removed without replacement. Use 47536 when an existing biliary drainage catheter is exchanged for another catheter.

Is fluoroscopic guidance separately reported?

Fluoroscopic guidance associated with the percutaneous catheter removal is included in 47537.

Can modifier 50 be used?

No. The service describes removal of a biliary drainage catheter, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.

What does the 0-day global period include?

Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure payment. Care on later dates is outside that same-day global period.

How does Medicare handle other procedures in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the session are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.

May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 47537. 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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 47537PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,689 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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