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Billing code 47370: Liver tumor ablationMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports laparoscopic destruction of one or more liver tumors using radiofrequency energy, when the surgeon treats the lesions through a minimally invasive operative approach.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities557 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,172.37 for 47370 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 47370

Liver tumor ablation

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
20.28
Total RVUs
35.10
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,172.37

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 47370 → · 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 47370 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 47370 covers

The surgeon places laparoscopic instruments through small abdominal incisions and uses a radiofrequency probe to destroy one or more liver tumors. This approach may be used for primary liver tumors or metastases when the treatment plan calls for laparoscopic access rather than an open operation or a percutaneous procedure. The service is generally performed by a surgeon in a hospital operating room.

Report this code for the laparoscopic radiofrequency technique, not for open or percutaneous ablation or laparoscopic cryosurgery. The code covers treatment of one or more tumors; document the lesions treated, the laparoscopic approach, and the energy modality. It has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this procedure.

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 47370 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

47370 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,057.24
Alaska*Unavailable$1,454.64
ArizonaUnavailable$1,137.55
ArkansasUnavailable$1,043.29
AtlantaUnavailable$1,214.21
AustinUnavailable$1,172.79
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,148.83
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,247.61
BeaumontUnavailable$1,131.10
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,136.97

47370 rates by state

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

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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
47370 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 47370 rate is calculated

Each of 47370’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 · 47370

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 20.28Practice expense 9.66Malpractice 5.16

35.1000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,172.37

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 47370

47370 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 47370

Liver tumor ablation

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 · 47370

Liver tumor ablation

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

47370 without 51 · national facility

$1,172.37

Liver tumor ablation

47370-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$586.19

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

47370 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

47370 vs 47371 vs 47380 vs 47382 vs 47300: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 47370
    Liver tumor ablation · 20.28 wRVU
    —
  • 47371
    Liver ablation · 20.28 wRVU
    —
  • 47380
    Liver ablation · 23.95 wRVU
    —
  • 47382
    Liver ablation · 14.6 wRVU
    $3,430.27
  • 47300
    Liver drainage · 17.69 wRVU
    —

How to choose

47371Liver ablation
Both describe laparoscopic liver tumor ablation. Use 47370 for radiofrequency energy and 47371 for cryosurgery.
47380Liver ablation
Both use radiofrequency energy for liver tumor ablation. Use 47370 for laparoscopic access and 47380 for an open operation.
47382Liver ablation
Both describe radiofrequency liver tumor ablation. Use 47370 for laparoscopic access and 47382 when the probe is placed percutaneously.
47300Liver drainage
47300 describes surgery for a liver lesion, whereas 47370 specifically identifies laparoscopic radiofrequency ablation of one or more liver tumors.

Codes related to 47370

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

Codes related to 47370
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
47371Liver ablationLaparoscopic liver tumor ablation using cryosurgery rather than radiofrequency.No office rate
Used instead
47380Liver ablationOpen approach for radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors.No office rate
47382Liver ablationPercutaneous approach for radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors.$2,996.52–$4,734.92
47300Liver drainageSurgical treatment of a liver lesion by a different operative approach or method.No office rate

47370 billing questions

How is this code distinguished from laparoscopic cryoablation?

This code is for radiofrequency energy. Use the laparoscopic cryosurgery code, 47371, when the surgeon uses cryoablation instead.

Is the code reported separately for each tumor?

No. It covers ablation of one or more liver tumors; document the treated lesions, but do not report separate units for each tumor.

When should an open or percutaneous ablation code be used instead?

Choose the code that matches the access route and modality: 47380 describes open radiofrequency ablation, while 47382 describes percutaneous radiofrequency ablation.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

Document the laparoscopic approach, radiofrequency technique, and the liver tumor or tumors treated. The record should distinguish this service from open, percutaneous, or cryosurgical ablation.

How does the global period affect postoperative billing?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. 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 47370PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,668 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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