CPT code 64488: TAP block, bilateral, injection technique2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in New York
Bilateral transversus abdominis plane block by injection provides abdominal wall regional analgesia, commonly for perioperative pain control using an injection technique.
Medicare pays $141.55–$172.49 for 64488 in the office in New York, from Rest of New York to NYC suburbs and Long Island, NY. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 64488 covers
A transversus abdominis plane (TAP) block places local anesthetic in the tissue plane between abdominal wall muscles to reduce sensation from the anterior abdominal wall. An anesthesiologist, pain physician, or other qualified clinician may perform the block, often with ultrasound guidance, for perioperative pain control around abdominal surgery. This code identifies a bilateral block delivered by injection rather than through a catheter for continuous infusion.
Report the code when the documented service is a bilateral TAP injection; the record should support the block’s purpose, bilateral performance, and injection technique. Medicare prices the code as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. The procedure has a 0-day global period, which includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When performed in the same session as other procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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 64488 pays more and less in New York
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
5 payment localities
$141.55 to $172.49
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Manhattan, NY | $168.76 | $63.20 |
| NYC suburbs and Long Island, NY | $172.49 | $64.47 |
| Poughkeepsie and northern NYC suburbs, NY | $159.83 | $60.35 |
| Queens, NY | $170.14 | $62.76 |
| Rest of New York | $141.55 | $55.24 |
How the 64488 rate is calculated
Each of 64488’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 · 64488
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.37
1.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.93
2.93 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.12
0.12 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.4200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$147.63
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 64488
The CMS indicators that decide how 64488 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 64488
TAP block, bilateral, injection technique
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 2 | Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
64488 without 51 · national office
$147.63
TAP block, bilateral, injection technique
64488-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$73.82
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%).
64488 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 64486TAP blockUnilateral injection
- Both describe TAP blocks by injection, but 64486 is unilateral and 64488 is bilateral.
- 64487TAP blockUnilateral, continuous infusion
- 64487 is a unilateral continuous-infusion service involving a catheter; 64488 is a bilateral injection service.
- 64489TAP blockBilateral continuous infusion
- Both are bilateral TAP services. Choose 64488 for injection(s) and 64489 for continuous infusion by catheter.
64488 billing questions
When should this code be chosen over 64486?
Use 64488 for a bilateral TAP block by injection. Code 64486 describes the unilateral injection service.
Is this code for a catheter-based continuous infusion?
No. It represents bilateral injection(s); 64489 is the related bilateral code for continuous infusion by catheter.
Should modifier 50 be appended?
No. Medicare prices 64488 as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment.
What should the documentation identify?
Document the TAP block, that it was performed bilaterally, and that the technique was injection rather than continuous catheter infusion.
How is it paid when other procedures occur in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in this code’s 0-day global period.
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
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