$398.28–$623.41
Choose 43216 when the esophageal lesion is removed with forceps or cautery. This code represents ablation rather than lesion extraction.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
43229 Esophageal ablation Medicare reimbursement rates
Reports flexible transoral esophagoscopy with energy-based treatment of an esophageal lesion, such as dysplastic Barrett’s tissue, rather than lesion excision. Compare 43229 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 43229?
The service location and office or facility setting determine which base rate applies. These are the supported base rates for the 109 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$682.97–$1077.41
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $394.44 per service.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Where 43229 pays more and less
109 payment localities
$682.97 to $1077.41
Gastroenterology
About 43229: Flexible esophagoscopy with lesion ablation
Reports flexible transoral esophagoscopy with energy-based treatment of an esophageal lesion, such as dysplastic Barrett’s tissue, rather than lesion excision.
A gastroenterologist or other qualified endoscopist advances a flexible scope through the mouth to visualize and ablate targeted esophageal tissue. A typical setting is endoscopic treatment of Barrett’s esophagus with dysplasia; the treatment destroys the target tissue rather than removing it with forceps or a snare. The service is distinct from diagnostic inspection, biopsy, and endoscopic removal of a lesion.
Report the code when the documented service includes esophageal lesion ablation, not merely examination or tissue sampling. The procedure note should identify the treated esophageal site and lesion, the ablation performed, and the clinical indication. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy-family pricing applies. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 43229
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Multiple procedures
- Endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU3.40 · 15%
- Practice expense (office) RVU19.60 · 84%
- Malpractice RVU0.41 · 2%
1.3K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2757 by national volume
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.
43229 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
$411.38–$635.43
Choose 43217 for esophageal lesion removal by snare. Use this code when the treatment destroys the target tissue by ablation instead.
$284.01–$435.38
43235 is for diagnostic upper endoscopy without the lesion-ablation service. It does not describe therapeutic destruction of esophageal tissue.
See how rates vary across the country
43229 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
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.
$682.97
$958.88
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $875.10 | 1 |
| AL | $694.14 | 1 |
| AR | $682.97 | 1 |
| AZ | $759.65 | 1 |
| CA | $840.34–$1,077.41 | 29 |
| CO | $822.18 | 1 |
| CT | $837.47 | 1 |
| DC | $906.12 | 1 |
| DE | $773.24 | 1 |
| FL | $760.00–$829.69 | 3 |
| GA | $713.84–$795.48 | 2 |
| GU | $865.84 | 1 |
| HI | $865.84 | 1 |
| IA | $718.01 | 1 |
| ID | $722.33 | 1 |
| IL | $732.67–$810.96 | 4 |
| IN | $727.09 | 1 |
| KS | $712.28 | 1 |
| KY | $708.08 | 1 |
| LA | $706.05–$745.15 | 2 |
| MA | $815.65–$912.07 | 2 |
| MD | $789.78–$906.12 | 3 |
| ME | $724.37–$770.97 | 2 |
| MI | $726.73–$768.40 | 2 |
| MN | $791.26 | 1 |
| MO | $691.22–$750.52 | 3 |
| MS | $687.34 | 1 |
| MT | $781.89 | 1 |
| NC | $733.11 | 1 |
| ND | $773.78 | 1 |
| NE | $722.99 | 1 |
| NH | $807.04 | 1 |
| NJ | $848.01–$894.75 | 2 |
| NM | $730.33 | 1 |
| NV | $780.28 | 1 |
| NY | $745.11–$924.65 | 5 |
| OH | $725.07 | 1 |
| OK | $708.81 | 1 |
| OR | $775.23–$852.89 | 2 |
| PA | $727.48–$813.44 | 2 |
| PR | $788.91 | 1 |
| RI | $804.20 | 1 |
| SC | $730.11 | 1 |
| SD | $772.82 | 1 |
| TN | $716.00 | 1 |
| TX | $722.02–$818.55 | 8 |
| UT | $741.24 | 1 |
| VA | $766.76–$906.12 | 2 |
| VI | $788.91 | 1 |
| VT | $768.60 | 1 |
| WA | $814.82–$933.69 | 2 |
| WI | $744.94 | 1 |
| WV | $702.06 | 1 |
| WY | $778.35 | 1 |
Compare 43229 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Office $694.14 | Facility $162.81 |
| Alaska* | Office $875.10 | Facility $228.40 |
| Arizona | Office $759.65 | Facility $171.24 |
| Arkansas | Office $682.97 | Facility $161.36 |
| Atlanta | Office $795.48 | Facility $178.54 |
| Austin | Office $818.55 | Facility $176.10 |
| Bakersfield | Office $841.57 | Facility $176.04 |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office $834.77 | Facility $183.21 |
| Beaumont | Office $722.02 | Facility $169.45 |
| Brazoria | Office $773.92 | Facility $172.16 |
| Chicago | Office $803.72 | Facility $193.45 |
| Chico | Office $840.34 | Facility $174.82 |
| Colorado | Office $822.18 | Facility $176.09 |
| Connecticut | Office $837.47 | Facility $183.49 |
| Dallas | Office $778.37 | Facility $173.57 |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office $906.12 | Facility $190.81 |
| Delaware | Office $773.24 | Facility $173.30 |
| Detroit | Office $768.40 | Facility $182.42 |
| East St. Louis | Office $743.43 | Facility $184.78 |
| El Centro | Office $840.41 | Facility $174.88 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office $801.49 | Facility $186.37 |
| Fort Worth | Office $772.01 | Facility $173.28 |
| Fresno | Office $840.34 | Facility $174.82 |
| Galveston | Office $775.89 | Facility $172.91 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $840.34 | Facility $174.82 |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office $865.84 | Facility $175.42 |
| Houston | Office $783.39 | Facility $180.41 |
| Idaho | Office $722.33 | Facility $163.68 |
| Indiana | Office $727.09 | Facility $164.19 |
| Iowa | Office $718.01 | Facility $162.40 |
| Kansas | Office $712.28 | Facility $163.34 |
| Kentucky | Office $708.08 | Facility $168.26 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $901.77 | Facility $183.42 |
| Madera | Office $840.34 | Facility $174.82 |
| Manhattan | Office $903.26 | Facility $197.66 |
| Merced | Office $840.34 | Facility $174.82 |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office $912.07 | Facility $187.04 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office $741.67 | Facility $171.48 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office $813.44 | Facility $181.32 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office $750.52 | Facility $172.44 |
| Miami | Office $829.69 | Facility $197.57 |
| Minnesota | Office $791.26 | Facility $166.42 |
| Mississippi | Office $687.34 | Facility $164.52 |
| Modesto | Office $840.34 | Facility $174.82 |
| Montana** | Office $781.89 | Facility $174.66 |
| Napa | Office $990.51 | Facility $190.19 |
| Nebraska | Office $722.99 | Facility $162.52 |
| Nevada** | Office $780.28 | Facility $172.45 |
| New Hampshire | Office $807.04 | Facility $174.92 |
| New Mexico | Office $730.33 | Facility $173.50 |
| New Orleans | Office $745.15 | Facility $173.75 |
| North Carolina | Office $733.11 | Facility $166.57 |
| North Dakota** | Office $773.78 | Facility $166.55 |
| Northern Nj | Office $894.75 | Facility $190.36 |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office $924.65 | Facility $202.65 |
| Ohio | Office $725.07 | Facility $170.67 |
| Oklahoma | Office $708.81 | Facility $166.56 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $899.08 | Facility $181.34 |
| Portland | Office $852.89 | Facility $178.26 |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office $852.09 | Facility $187.18 |
| Puerto Rico | Office $788.91 | Facility $175.00 |
| Queens | Office $914.38 | Facility $196.64 |
| Redding | Office $840.34 | Facility $174.82 |
| Rest Of California | Office $840.34 | Facility $174.82 |
| Rest Of Florida | Office $760.00 | Facility $179.49 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office $713.84 | Facility $172.19 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office $732.67 | Facility $178.27 |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office $706.05 | Facility $168.66 |
| Rest Of Maine | Office $724.37 | Facility $165.72 |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office $789.78 | Facility $175.27 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office $815.65 | Facility $176.24 |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office $726.73 | Facility $172.33 |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office $691.22 | Facility $167.79 |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office $848.01 | Facility $184.92 |
| Rest Of New York | Office $745.11 | Facility $168.25 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office $775.23 | Facility $170.43 |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office $727.48 | Facility $170.04 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $747.20 | Facility $170.94 |
| Rest Of Washington | Office $814.82 | Facility $175.40 |
| Rhode Island | Office $804.20 | Facility $176.93 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $844.79 | Facility $179.27 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $886.36 | Facility $180.15 |
| Salinas | Office $883.17 | Facility $179.39 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $907.36 | Facility $181.12 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $1053.70 | Facility $197.51 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $1053.24 | Facility $197.05 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $1077.41 | Facility $201.79 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $1075.51 | Facility $199.88 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $868.49 | Facility $176.86 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $918.70 | Facility $180.91 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $887.41 | Facility $179.39 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $928.23 | Facility $182.55 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office $933.69 | Facility $188.63 |
| South Carolina | Office $730.11 | Facility $169.03 |
| South Dakota** | Office $772.82 | Facility $165.59 |
| Southern Maine | Office $770.97 | Facility $169.21 |
| Stockton | Office $840.34 | Facility $174.82 |
| Suburban Chicago | Office $810.96 | Facility $187.33 |
| Tennessee | Office $716.00 | Facility $164.03 |
| Utah | Office $741.24 | Facility $170.44 |
| Vallejo | Office $989.84 | Facility $189.52 |
| Vermont | Office $768.60 | Facility $167.45 |
| Virgin Islands | Office $788.91 | Facility $175.00 |
| Virginia | Office $766.76 | Facility $169.85 |
| Visalia | Office $840.34 | Facility $174.82 |
| West Virginia | Office $702.06 | Facility $174.38 |
| Wisconsin | Office $744.94 | Facility $163.22 |
| Wyoming** | Office $778.35 | Facility $171.13 |
| Yuba City | Office $840.34 | Facility $174.82 |
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43229 billing questions
How is ablation distinguished from endoscopic lesion removal?
Use this code for ablation of the esophageal target. Codes 43216 and 43217 describe lesion removal by specific techniques, including forceps or cautery and snare removal.
Can this code be reported for diagnostic esophagoscopy alone?
No. The service must include treatment by ablation; inspection or biopsy without ablation does not support this code.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for ablation on both sides of the esophagus?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy.
How are related endoscopies priced when performed together?
CMS applies endoscopy-family pricing when related endoscopies are performed together, rather than pricing each related scope service independently.
Does Medicare pay an assistant or co-surgeon for this procedure?
An assistant at surgery is not paid for this service. 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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
5,15543220,,Esophagoscopy balloon <30mm,A,,1.95,26.47,,0.96,,0.26,28.68,3.17,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,43200,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,15643226,,Esoph endoscopy dilation,A,,2.18,9.89,,0.97,,0.36,12.43,3.51,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,43200,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,15743227,,Esophagoscopy control bleed,A,,2.82,16.44,,1.22,,0.36,19.62,4.40,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,43200,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,15843229,,Esophagoscopy lesion ablate,A,,3.40,19.60,,1.42,,0.41,23.41,5.23,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,43200,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,1594322F,,Crgvr prov w/ ed addl rsrcs,M,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,16043231,,Esophagoscop ultrasound exam,A,,2.73,1.13,NA,1.13,,0.27,4.13,4.13,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,2,0,9,43200,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,16143232,,Esophagoscopy w/us needle bx,A,,3.50,1.42,NA,1.42,,0.39,5.31,5.31,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,2,0,9,43200,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00