CPT code 64486: TAP block, unilateral injection2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

A unilateral transversus abdominis plane block by injection provides abdominal wall analgesia, commonly for pain control after abdominal surgery.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities6.9K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $125.59 for 64486 nationally in the office and $48.43 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $112.36–$165.40.

Medicare rate · 64486

TAP block, unilateral injection

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
1.17
Total RVUs
3.76
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$125.59

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 64486 →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 64486 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 64486 covers

This service places local anesthetic into the plane between abdominal wall muscle layers to reduce pain from the abdominal wall on one side. Anesthesiologists, pain physicians, and other qualified clinicians commonly perform the block for perioperative analgesia, including after abdominal operations. The service covers injection rather than delivery through a catheter for continuous infusion; imaging guidance, when used, is included in the block service.

Report 64486 for the unilateral injection service, documenting the side, block site, medication, and clinical purpose. A catheter-based continuous infusion is reported with 64487, while bilateral injection has its own code, 64488. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and 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. CMS lists bilateral modifier 50 payment at 150%; 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 64486 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

$112.36 to $165.40

$112.36$138.88$165.40
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

64486 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$113.84$46.33
Alaska$149.20$67.03
Arizona$122.57$47.80
Arkansas$112.36$46.08
Atlanta, GA$127.64$49.25
Austin, TX$130.17$48.53
Bakersfield, CA$133.17$48.61
Baltimore area, MD$133.02$50.23
Beaumont, TX$117.86$47.65
Brazoria, TX$124.49$48.03

64486 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.

$112.36

$149.20

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

View every state and territory as a table
64486 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$149.201
AL$113.841
AR$112.361
AZ$122.571
CA$132.87–$165.4029
CO$130.741
CT$133.431
DC$142.901
DE$124.481
FL$123.43–$133.613
GA$117.15–$127.642
GU$135.761
HI$135.761
IA$116.681
ID$117.321
IL$120.02–$130.444
IN$117.951
KS$116.081
KY$116.061
LA$115.86–$121.072
MA$130.03–$143.062
MD$126.73–$142.903
ME$117.77–$123.732
MI$118.71–$124.732
MN$125.891
MO$113.99–$121.593
MS$113.201
MT$125.581
NC$118.911
ND$123.801
NE$117.291
NH$128.641
NJ$135.12–$141.612
NM$119.261
NV$125.171
NY$120.52–$146.455
OH$118.351
OK$115.981
OR$124.36–$134.712
PA$118.57–$130.292
PR$126.461
RI$128.761
SC$118.791
SD$123.591
TN$116.601
TX$117.86–$130.178
UT$120.271
VA$123.28–$142.902
VI$126.461
VT$123.271
WA$129.80–$145.952
WI$120.001
WV$115.941
WY$124.811

How the 64486 rate is calculated

Each of 64486’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 · 64486

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work1.17

1.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense2.50

2.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.09

0.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

3.7600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$125.59

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 64486

The CMS indicators that decide how 64486 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 64486

TAP block, unilateral injection

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)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
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 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

64486 without 50 · national office

$125.59

TAP block, unilateral injection

64486-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$188.39

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

64486 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 64486

    TAP block, unilateral injection1.17 wRVU

    $125.59

  • 64487

    TAP block, unilateral, continuous infusion1.36 wRVU

    $245.50+$119.91

  • 64488

    TAP block, bilateral, injection technique1.37 wRVU

    $147.63+$22.04

  • 64489

    TAP block, bilateral continuous infusion1.71 wRVU

    $403.15+$277.56

How to choose

64487TAP blockUnilateral, continuous infusion
Both describe unilateral TAP blocks, but 64486 is for injection and 64487 is for continuous infusion through a catheter.
64488TAP blockBilateral, injection technique
Use 64486 for a unilateral injection block; 64488 identifies bilateral injection.
64489TAP blockBilateral continuous infusion
Use 64489 for bilateral continuous infusion through a catheter; 64486 is a unilateral injection service.

64486 billing questions

When should 64486 be chosen instead of 64487?

Use 64486 for a unilateral TAP block delivered by injection. Use 64487 when the service uses a catheter for continuous infusion.

How is a bilateral injection block reported?

Code 64488 specifically describes bilateral TAP block by injection. CMS lists modifier 50 payment at 150% for a bilateral procedure; follow the applicable reporting convention for the service and claim.

Is ultrasound guidance separately reported?

Imaging guidance, when performed for this block, is included in the service rather than separately reported as guidance for the TAP block.

What documentation supports 64486?

Document the unilateral side, injection site, medication, and reason for the block. The record should also support that the service was an injection rather than catheter-based continuous infusion.

Are same-day preoperative and postoperative visits separately included?

The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care for this procedure.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed for this block?

CMS restricts assistant-at-surgery payment for 64486. 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 64486PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,130 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 64486 pays?

Tell us what you were actually trying to work out. We’ll answer you directly, or build the page that does.

Fee sheets · Coming soon

Put 64486 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.

Join the waitlist