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CPT code 49062: Peritoneal drainage, open surgical approach2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports operative drainage of the peritoneal cavity through an open approach, rather than needle-based fluid removal or drainage of a defined abscess.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities43 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $733.48 for 49062 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 49062

Peritoneal drainage, open surgical approach

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
11.91
Total RVUs
21.96
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$733.48

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 49062 →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 49062 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 49062 covers

This service involves surgically opening the abdomen to drain fluid from the peritoneal cavity. It is performed by a surgeon in an operating room when treatment requires operative access and drainage, rather than a needle tap. The operative report should identify the approach, the cavity drained, the reason for drainage, and the work performed. Drainage directed at a defined abscess may fall under a more specific abscess-drainage code instead.

Report the service when the documented procedure supports open drainage of the peritoneal cavity. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed; 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 49062 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

49062 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$658.70
AlaskaUnavailable$899.61
ArizonaUnavailable$711.08
ArkansasUnavailable$649.62
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$759.70
Austin, TXUnavailable$735.48
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$721.54
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$781.77
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$705.29
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$711.23

49062 rates by state

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

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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.

View every state and territory as a table
49062 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 49062 rate is calculated

Each of 49062’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 · 49062

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work11.91

11.91 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense6.87

6.87 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice3.18

3.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

21.9600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$733.48

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 49062

49062 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 49062

Peritoneal drainage, open surgical approach

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.09/0.81/0.10Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 49062

Peritoneal drainage, open surgical approach

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

49062 without 51 · national facility

$733.48

Peritoneal drainage, open surgical approach

49062-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$366.74

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

49062 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 49062

    Peritoneal drainage, open surgical approach11.91 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 49020

    Abscess drainage, open peritoneal approach26 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 49082

    Paracentesis, without imaging guidance1.21 wRVU

    $245.16

  • 49083

    Paracentesis, with imaging guidance1.95 wRVU

    $284.24

  • 49084

    Peritoneal lavage, diagnostic abdominal fluid lavage1.95 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

49020Abscess drainageOpen peritoneal approach
49020 is for open drainage of a peritoneal abscess. Use 49062 when the documented service is open drainage of the peritoneal cavity rather than drainage of a defined abscess.
49082ParacentesisWithout imaging guidance
49082 describes abdominal paracentesis without imaging guidance, not open operative drainage.
49083ParacentesisWith imaging guidance
49083 describes abdominal paracentesis with imaging guidance; 49062 represents open surgical drainage.
49084Peritoneal lavageDiagnostic abdominal fluid lavage
49084 is peritoneal lavage. It is not the code for open drainage of the peritoneal cavity.

Codes related to 49062

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

Codes related to 49062
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
49020Abscess drainage, open peritoneal approachFor open drainage directed at a peritoneal abscess rather than general cavity drainage.No office rate
49040Abscess drainage, open abdominal approachFor percutaneous drainage of a peritoneal abscess.No office rate
49082Paracentesis, without imaging guidanceNeedle-based abdominal paracentesis without imaging guidance.$214.00–$334.05
49083Paracentesis, with imaging guidanceAbdominal paracentesis performed with imaging guidance.$250.93–$381.90
49084Peritoneal lavage, diagnostic abdominal fluid lavagePeritoneal lavage, a distinct procedure from operative cavity drainage.No office rate

49062 billing questions

How is this different from paracentesis?

This code describes open operative drainage of the peritoneal cavity. Use 49082 or 49083 for abdominal paracentesis, depending on whether imaging guidance is used.

When would an abscess-drainage code be more appropriate?

When the operative target is a defined peritoneal abscess, consider the code specific to drainage of that abscess, such as 49020 or 49040, according to the documented approach and procedure.

Does the 90-day global include related postoperative care?

Yes. The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can modifier 50 be reported?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be paid?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect another procedure performed in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction when performed in the same session.

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 49062PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,769 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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