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Billing code 44050: Bowel obstruction reductionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports operative reduction of an intestinal obstruction, such as volvulus, intussusception, or internal hernia, when surgery restores bowel position or patency.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities3K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $881.45 for 44050 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 44050

Bowel obstruction reduction

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
15.13
Total RVUs
26.39
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$881.45

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 44050 → · 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.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 44050 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 44050 covers

A surgeon reports this service for operative reduction of an intestinal obstruction, including volvulus, intussusception, or internal hernia. The work centers on releasing or repositioning the obstructed bowel; it is not the same as nonoperative reduction, such as an enema for intussusception. These procedures are typically performed in a hospital operating room, including during emergency surgery.

Choose the code when the operative work reduces the obstruction, rather than solely decompressing bowel, freeing adhesions, or correcting malrotation. The operative report should identify the obstruction and its site, describe the findings and reduction performed, and distinguish any additional procedures. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this intestinal service. An assistant may be paid; 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 44050 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

44050 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$794.50
Alaska*Unavailable$1,092.13
ArizonaUnavailable$855.18
ArkansasUnavailable$783.95
AtlantaUnavailable$912.90
AustinUnavailable$882.04
BakersfieldUnavailable$864.21
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$938.19
BeaumontUnavailable$850.06
BrazoriaUnavailable$854.83

44050 rates by state

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

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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
44050 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 44050 rate is calculated

Each of 44050’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 · 44050

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 15.13Practice expense 7.39Malpractice 3.87

26.3900 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$881.45

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 44050

44050 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 44050

Bowel obstruction reduction

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 · 44050

Bowel obstruction reduction

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.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned 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

44050 without 51 · national facility

$881.45

Bowel obstruction reduction

44050-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$440.73

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

44050 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

44050 vs 44005 vs 44021 vs 44055: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 44050
    Bowel obstruction reduction · 15.13 wRVU
    —
  • 44005
    Bowel adhesiolysis · 18 wRVU
    —
  • 44021
    Bowel decompression · 15.9 wRVU
    —
  • 44055
    Malrotation correction · 24.99 wRVU
    —

How to choose

44005Bowel adhesiolysis
Choose 44005 for operative freeing of intestinal adhesions. Choose 44050 when the surgeon reduces an obstruction such as volvulus, intussusception, or internal hernia.
44021Bowel decompression
44021 represents small-bowel decompression. This code represents operative reduction of the obstruction itself.
44055Malrotation correction
44055 is for surgical correction of intestinal malrotation. Use 44050 when the operation reduces an obstruction without that malrotation-correction service.

Codes related to 44050

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

Codes related to 44050
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
44005Bowel adhesiolysisFreeing intestinal adhesions may address adhesive obstruction when reduction is not the operative service.No office rate
44021Bowel decompressionUsed for operative small-bowel decompression rather than reduction of an obstruction.No office rate
44055Malrotation correctionCorrects intestinal malrotation, rather than reporting reduction of an obstruction alone.No office rate

44050 billing questions

When should this code be chosen over bowel decompression?

Use this code when the surgeon operatively reduces the obstruction. A service limited to relieving bowel distention by decompression is a different procedure.

Does this code describe nonoperative reduction of intussusception?

No. It describes operative reduction; nonoperative reduction, such as an enema procedure, is not the service represented here.

Can modifier 50 be used?

No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this intestinal reduction service.

What documentation supports reporting the code?

Document the obstruction's location and cause when known, the operative findings, and how the surgeon reduced it. Identify other procedures performed during the same session separately in the operative report.

How are assistants and co-surgeons handled?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is 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 44050PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,330 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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