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CPT code 47553: Biliary endoscopy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports percutaneous endoscopic inspection of the bile ducts when the physician obtains one or more tissue samples, such as during evaluation of a stricture.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities48 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $252.51 for 47553 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 47553

Biliary endoscopy

Work RVUs
6.18
Total RVUs
7.56
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$252.51

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 47553 →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 47553 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 47553 covers

A physician advances an endoscope through percutaneous access to inspect the biliary tree and obtain tissue from a ductal abnormality. Interventional radiologists and other physicians who perform percutaneous biliary procedures may use this approach to evaluate an indeterminate stricture or suspected duct lesion, often through access established for biliary drainage.

Report this code when endoscopic visualization is paired with biopsy; the code covers one or multiple samples in the session. Documentation should identify the access route, endoscopic findings, biopsy site or sites, and tissue sampling performed. Distinguish biopsy from diagnostic endoscopy with brushing or washing alone and from endoscopy performed for another therapeutic intervention. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies. The anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 47553 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

47553 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$238.39
Alaska*Unavailable$344.81
ArizonaUnavailable$248.02
ArkansasUnavailable$236.70
AtlantaUnavailable$258.87
AustinUnavailable$250.94
BakersfieldUnavailable$247.68
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$263.62
BeaumontUnavailable$248.88
BrazoriaUnavailable$248.04

47553 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
47553 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 47553 rate is calculated

Each of 47553’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 · 47553

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work6.18

6.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.57

0.57 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.81

0.81 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

7.5600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$252.51

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 47553

The CMS indicators that decide how 47553 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 47553

Biliary endoscopy

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included.
Multiple procedures3Endoscopy family rules apply.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
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

47553 without 51 · national facility

$252.51

Biliary endoscopy

47553-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$126.26

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

47553 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 47553

    Biliary endoscopy6.18 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 47552

    Biliary endoscopy5.88 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 47543

    Biliary biopsy2.93 wRVU

    $373.76

  • 47554

    Biliary endoscopy8.82 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

47552Biliary endoscopy
Choose 47552 for diagnostic percutaneous biliary endoscopy with brushing or washing specimen collection. Choose 47553 when the physician obtains tissue by biopsy.
47543Biliary biopsy
47543 is for percutaneous endoluminal biopsy of the biliary tree by a biopsy method; 47553 requires endoscopic visualization with biopsy.
47554Biliary endoscopy
47554 is the sibling endoscopy code for calculus removal. Report 47553 when biopsy, rather than that therapeutic intervention, defines the endoscopic service.

Codes related to 47553

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

Codes related to 47553
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
47552Biliary endoscopySibling diagnostic biliary endoscopy with specimen collection by brushing or washing.No office rate
47554Biliary endoscopySibling biliary endoscopy code for a different therapeutic intervention.No office rate
47555Biliary endoscopySibling biliary endoscopy code for a different therapeutic intervention.No office rate
47556Biliary endoscopySibling biliary endoscopy code for a different therapeutic intervention.No office rate
Used instead
47543Biliary biopsyPercutaneous endoluminal biliary biopsy without the endoscopic approach described here.$331.06–$496.48

47553 billing questions

When should I report this instead of 47552?

Use 47553 when the percutaneous endoscopy includes tissue biopsy. Code 47552 describes diagnostic endoscopy with specimen collection by brushing or washing.

Can I report multiple units for several biopsies?

The code includes single or multiple biopsies during the endoscopic session. Document the biopsy sites and sampling performed rather than counting each specimen as a separate unit.

Is brushing or washing included when a biopsy is performed?

The defining service is endoscopic biopsy. Do not separately report 47552 for diagnostic brushing or washing performed as part of the same endoscopy without support for a separately reportable service.

What global-period services are included?

The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. It does not create a multi-day postoperative period for this procedure.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this procedure?

CMS statutorily restricts assistant-at-surgery payment for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 47553PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,699 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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