CPT code 48150: Whipple procedure, proximal resection with duodenectomy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $2,871.14 for 48150 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 48150 covers

This code describes a major Whipple-type resection in which the proximal pancreas and duodenum are removed and pancreatic drainage is connected to the jejunum. It is commonly performed by a pancreatic or hepatopancreatobiliary surgeon for pancreatic head cancer, ampullary tumors, or other disease requiring this extent of resection. The operation takes place in a surgical facility and includes the reconstruction specified by the code; it is more extensive than removing a pancreatic lesion alone.

Select the code from the operative report’s resection extent and reconstruction, not simply the diagnosis. Documentation should identify the portions of pancreas and duodenum removed and the pancreatic-to-jejunal reconstruction. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery billing is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this procedure.

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 48150 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

48150 rates by state

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

How the 48150 rate is calculated

Each of 48150’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 48150

48150 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

48150 compared with similar codes

How to choose

48140Pancreas resectionDistal, without pancreaticojejunostomy

This code is for a proximal Whipple-type operation with duodenectomy and pancreatic-to-jejunal reconstruction; 48140 describes a distal partial pancreatectomy.

48145PancreatectomyDistal resection with jejunal anastomosis

Both involve partial pancreatic resection, but 48145 is a distal resection. Use this code for the proximal Whipple-type operation described in the operative report.

48146PancreatectomyDistal subtotal with pancreaticojejunostomy

48146 describes total pancreatectomy. This code is for a proximal resection that preserves pancreatic tissue outside the resected portion.

48120Pancreatic lesion excisionOpen local removal

48120 describes removal of a pancreatic lesion; this code represents the broader proximal pancreatic and duodenal resection with reconstruction.

Codes related to 48150

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