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Billing code 47480: Gallbladder incisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Report this open gallbladder incision when the surgeon explores the gallbladder, drains it, or removes a calculus without removing the organ.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities116 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $837.69 for 47480 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 47480

Gallbladder incision

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
12.92
Total RVUs
25.08
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$837.69

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 47480 → · 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 47480 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 47480 covers

A surgeon makes an operative incision into the gallbladder to explore its interior, drain its contents, or remove a calculus. This is a gallbladder-preserving procedure, not removal of the gallbladder. General surgeons typically perform it in an operating room when the chosen treatment calls for direct access to the gallbladder rather than cholecystectomy or percutaneous drainage.

Report the service when the operative record supports the incision and the exploration, drainage, or calculus removal performed. Distinguish it from a bile-duct incision by documenting that the gallbladder itself was entered. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require 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 47480 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

47480 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$754.10
Alaska*Unavailable$1,025.27
ArizonaUnavailable$813.10
ArkansasUnavailable$743.89
AtlantaUnavailable$865.14
AustinUnavailable$843.85
BakersfieldUnavailable$833.16
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$891.67
BeaumontUnavailable$803.16
BrazoriaUnavailable$815.08

47480 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
47480 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 47480 rate is calculated

Each of 47480’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 · 47480

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 12.92Practice expense 8.98Malpractice 3.18

25.0800 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$837.69

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 47480

47480 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 47480

Gallbladder incision

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 · 47480

Gallbladder incision

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

47480 without 51 · national facility

$837.69

Gallbladder incision

47480-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$418.85

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

47480 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

47480 vs 47490 vs 47420 vs 47562 vs 47600: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 47480
    Gallbladder incision · 12.92 wRVU
    —
  • 47490
    Gallbladder drainage · 4.64 wRVU
    —
  • 47420
    Bile duct surgery · 21.48 wRVU
    —
  • 47562
    Laparoscopic cholecystectomy · 10.21 wRVU
    —
  • 47600
    Gallbladder removal · 17.04 wRVU
    —

How to choose

47490Gallbladder drainage
47490 describes percutaneous cholecystostomy. 47480 is the operative gallbladder incision used for exploration, drainage, or calculus removal.
47420Bile duct surgery
47420 involves incision of the bile duct, not the gallbladder. Identify the structure entered in the operative report.
47562Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
47562 is laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder. 47480 involves incision and work within the gallbladder without removing the organ.
47600Gallbladder removal
47600 is open removal of the gallbladder; 47480 is an incision procedure that preserves the gallbladder.

Codes related to 47480

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

Codes related to 47480
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
47490Gallbladder drainagePercutaneous gallbladder drainage is an alternative approach to operative gallbladder incision.No office rate
47562Laparoscopic cholecystectomyLaparoscopic cholecystectomy removes the gallbladder rather than incising and preserving it.No office rate
47600Gallbladder removalOpen cholecystectomy removes the gallbladder instead of performing gallbladder-preserving incision.No office rate

47480 billing questions

How is 47480 different from percutaneous cholecystostomy?

47480 describes an operative incision into the gallbladder for exploration, drainage, or calculus removal. Use 47490 for percutaneous cholecystostomy.

Does 47480 include removal of the gallbladder?

No. It describes incision and work within the gallbladder, not cholecystectomy. A laparoscopic or open gallbladder removal is reported with the applicable cholecystectomy code.

How can I distinguish this from a bile-duct incision?

The operative note should identify which structure was opened. 47480 is for the gallbladder; 47420 concerns incision of the bile duct.

What documentation supports 47480?

Document the gallbladder incision, the operative approach, and whether the surgeon explored, drained, or removed a calculus from the gallbladder.

Can modifier 50 be used, and what are the assistant rules?

Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

What postoperative care is included?

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

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 47480PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,681 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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