FeeBase
Log inGet started
Menu

Billing code 47100: Liver biopsyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical removal of a wedge-shaped liver sample for tissue diagnosis, rather than a needle sample or therapeutic liver resection.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities2.8K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $814.65 for 47100 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 47100

Liver biopsy

Work RVUs
12.59
Total RVUs
24.39
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$814.65

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 47100 →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 47100 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 47100 covers

The surgeon removes a wedge-shaped piece of liver tissue for diagnostic examination, commonly during an abdominal operation when direct surgical access to the liver is available. The specimen is sent for pathology to assess suspected disease or clarify findings such as a liver lesion or diffuse tissue abnormality. This is distinct from sampling the liver with a needle and from removing liver tissue as treatment.

Report the service when the operative documentation supports an actual wedge-shaped tissue biopsy; document the specimen and the reason for sampling. A pathology examination may be reported separately by the laboratory or pathologist. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When performed in the same session as other procedures subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. An assistant at surgery 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 47100 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

47100 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$732.56
Alaska*Unavailable$995.93
ArizonaUnavailable$790.43
ArkansasUnavailable$722.54
AtlantaUnavailable$841.87
AustinUnavailable$820.08
BakersfieldUnavailable$808.75
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$867.57
BeaumontUnavailable$781.19
BrazoriaUnavailable$792.05

47100 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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.

View every state and territory as a table
47100 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 47100 rate is calculated

Each of 47100’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 · 47100

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work12.59

12.59 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense8.62

8.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice3.18

3.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

24.3900

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$814.65

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 47100

47100 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 47100

Liver biopsy

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 · 47100

Liver biopsy

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.

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

47100 without 51 · national facility

$814.65

Liver biopsy

47100-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$407.33

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

47100 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 47100

    Liver biopsy12.59 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 47000

    Liver biopsy1.61 wRVU

    $287.92

  • 47001

    Liver biopsy1.85 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 47120

    Liver resection38.03 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

47000Liver biopsy
Use 47000 for percutaneous needle sampling. Use 47100 when the surgeon removes a wedge-shaped sample.
47001Liver biopsy
47001 describes needle biopsy performed during another major procedure. 47100 describes a wedge biopsy, not needle sampling.
47120Liver resection
47120 represents partial liver removal, rather than tissue sampling for diagnosis. The operative purpose and extent of tissue removal distinguish it from 47100.

Codes related to 47100

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

Codes related to 47100
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
47000Liver biopsyNeedle sampling of the liver rather than removal of a wedge-shaped tissue sample.$252.95–$392.18
47001Liver biopsyNeedle liver biopsy performed during another major procedure, rather than a wedge biopsy.No office rate
Often billed with
88307Tissue pathology examMay represent the pathology examination of the liver biopsy specimen.$245.21–$381.42

47100 billing questions

How does 47100 differ from a needle liver biopsy?

47100 is for surgical removal of a wedge-shaped piece of liver. A needle biopsy uses a needle to obtain the sample; use the code that matches the documented sampling method.

Can the pathology examination be reported separately?

Yes. The pathologist or laboratory may report the applicable surgical pathology service for examination of the liver biopsy specimen, such as 88307.

What documentation supports 47100?

The operative report should describe removal of a wedge-shaped liver sample, the reason for the biopsy, and the specimen submitted for examination.

How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative care?

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.

How is 47100 paid when performed with another procedure in the same session?

Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.

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 47100PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,648 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 47100 pays?

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

Fee sheets

Put 47100 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.

Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →