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Billing code 44720: Intestine preparationMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports backbench preparation of a cadaver donor intestine for transplantation when the preparation includes a venous anastomosis.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $246.16 for 44720 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 44720

Intestine preparation

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
4.88
Total RVUs
7.37
Global days
XXX

National rate · 2026

$246.16

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 44720 → · 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 44720 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 44720 covers

A transplant surgeon prepares a cadaver donor intestine on the back table before implantation into the recipient. The work includes preparing the donor bowel and its mesenteric vessels, with a venous anastomosis as part of that preparation. This is an organ-preparation service, separate from the operation that implants the intestine in the recipient.

Select this code when the documented backbench preparation includes the venous anastomosis; preparation without that feature is represented by a different code in the family, and arterial anastomosis has its own sibling code. The operative report should identify the donor organ preparation and describe the venous work performed. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard multiple procedure reduction to the others, which are paid at 50%.

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 44720 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

44720 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$222.25
Alaska*Unavailable$310.58
ArizonaUnavailable$238.64
ArkansasUnavailable$219.39
AtlantaUnavailable$256.08
AustinUnavailable$243.79
BakersfieldUnavailable$235.94
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$262.02
BeaumontUnavailable$239.51
BrazoriaUnavailable$237.49

44720 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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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
44720 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 44720 rate is calculated

Each of 44720’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 · 44720

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 4.88Practice expense 1.18Malpractice 1.31

7.3700 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$246.16

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 44720

The CMS indicators that decide how 44720 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 44720

Intestine preparation

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodXXXThe global surgery concept doesn’t apply.
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.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

44720 without 51 · national facility

$246.16

Intestine preparation

44720-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$123.08

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

44720 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

44720 vs 44715 vs 44721 vs 44132: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 44720
    Intestine preparation · 4.88 wRVU
    —
  • 44715
    · 0 wRVU
    —
  • 44721
    Donor intestine prep · 6.83 wRVU
    —
  • 44132
    · 0 wRVU
    —

How to choose

44715Prepare donor intestine
Choose 44715 for donor intestine backbench preparation without the venous anastomosis described by 44720.
44721Donor intestine prep
Choose 44721 when the backbench preparation includes an arterial anastomosis; 44720 identifies venous anastomosis.
44132Enterectomy cadaver donor
44132 reports the intestinal allotransplantation in the recipient. 44720 reports preparation of the donor intestine before implantation.

Codes related to 44720

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

Codes related to 44720
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
44715Prepare donor intestineBackbench preparation of donor intestine without the venous anastomosis distinction.No office rate
44721Donor intestine prepSibling preparation code for donor intestine with arterial anastomosis.No office rate
Often billed with
44132Enterectomy cadaver donorRecipient intestinal allotransplantation, distinct from donor-organ backbench preparation.No office rate

44720 billing questions

How does 44720 differ from 44715?

44720 is for backbench preparation that includes a venous anastomosis. 44715 represents donor intestine preparation without that venous feature.

When is 44721 used instead?

Use 44721 when the donor intestine preparation includes an arterial anastomosis. The distinction from 44720 is the vessel addressed during backbench preparation.

Is 44720 the recipient's intestinal transplant operation?

No. It reports preparation of the donor intestine before implantation; the recipient transplant operation is a separate service.

What documentation supports reporting 44720?

The operative report should identify backbench preparation of the cadaver donor intestine and describe the venous anastomosis performed.

How does the multiple procedure rule affect payment?

For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are paid at 50%.

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 44720PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,444 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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