CPT code 47600: Gallbladder removal, open, without cholangiography2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $1,010.38 for 47600 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 47600 covers

This code represents open surgical removal of the gallbladder through an abdominal incision, without cholangiography. General surgeons commonly perform it in a hospital operating room for conditions such as symptomatic gallstones or acute or chronic cholecystitis. The operative approach, rather than the diagnosis alone, distinguishes this service from laparoscopic gallbladder removal.

Report the code when the operative documentation supports open gallbladder removal and does not describe the additional services represented by codes for cholangiography or common-duct exploration. The note should identify the approach and the work performed. Medicare includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care in the 90-day global period. When multiple procedures occur 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 removal of the single gallbladder. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon claims require 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 47600 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

47600 rates by state

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

How the 47600 rate is calculated

Each of 47600’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 47600

47600 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

47600 compared with similar codes

How to choose

47605CholecystectomyWith cholangiography

Both describe open gallbladder removal, but 47605 includes cholangiography. Use 47600 when that imaging is not performed.

47610Gallbladder surgeryCommon duct exploration

47610 includes common-duct exploration in addition to gallbladder removal. Use 47600 when the documented operation does not include duct exploration.

47562Laparoscopic cholecystectomyWithout cholangiography or exploration

47562 describes a laparoscopic approach without cholangiography; 47600 describes an open approach without cholangiography.

47563Laparoscopic cholecystectomyWith cholangiography

47563 is the laparoscopic option when cholangiography is performed. For an open operation with cholangiography, compare 47605.

Codes related to 47600

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