Billing code 47380: Liver ablationMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $1,344.39 for 47380 nationally in a facility.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 47380 covers

The surgeon exposes the liver through an open operative approach and uses a radiofrequency probe to destroy one or more tumors. This may be performed for primary liver cancer or metastatic tumors when ablation is selected instead of, or alongside, tumor resection. The service is typically provided by a surgeon in a hospital operating room; the open approach distinguishes it from laparoscopic and image-guided percutaneous ablation.

Report the code based on the open approach and radiofrequency method, not as a separate unit for each tumor treated. The operative report should support the approach, use of radiofrequency energy, and the treated tumor or tumors. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service.

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 47380 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

47380 rates by state

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

How the 47380 rate is calculated

Each of 47380’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 47380

47380 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

47380 compared with similar codes

How to choose

47370Liver tumor ablation

Both use radiofrequency energy for liver tumor ablation, but 47370 is for a laparoscopic approach; 47380 requires an open exposure.

47381Liver tumor ablation

Both involve open liver tumor ablation. Select 47381 when cryosurgery is used; select 47380 for radiofrequency energy.

47382Liver ablation

Both use radiofrequency energy, but 47382 is for percutaneous treatment. This code represents ablation through an open surgical approach.

47383Liver ablation

47383 describes percutaneous cryoablation. This code is for open radiofrequency ablation.

Codes related to 47380

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates