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Billing code 47555: Biliary endoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports percutaneous endoscopic removal of foreign material from the biliary tree, such as a retained device fragment, through a skin access route.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities45 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $300.61 for 47555 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 47555

Biliary endoscopy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
7.36
Total RVUs
9.00
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$300.61

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 47555 → · 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 47555 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 47555 covers

A physician passes an endoscope through a percutaneous tract into the biliary tree and removes foreign material. This may be performed by an interventional radiologist when an object or device fragment remains in the ducts after prior biliary access or treatment. The service is distinct from routine exchange or removal of a biliary drainage catheter and from endoscopic extraction of duct stones, which have separate codes.

Report the service when the procedure documentation supports endoscopic access and removal of foreign material; identify the access route and the material removed. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When related endoscopies are performed together, CMS applies endoscopy-family pricing. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. CMS does not pay for an assistant at surgery, co-surgeons, or team surgery for this code.

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 47555 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

47555 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$283.85
Alaska*Unavailable$410.60
ArizonaUnavailable$295.29
ArkansasUnavailable$281.85
AtlantaUnavailable$308.15
AustinUnavailable$298.76
BakersfieldUnavailable$294.92
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$313.80
BeaumontUnavailable$296.29
BrazoriaUnavailable$295.32

47555 rates by state

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

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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
47555 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 47555 rate is calculated

Each of 47555’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 · 47555

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 7.36Practice expense 0.68Malpractice 0.96

9.0000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$300.61

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 47555

The CMS indicators that decide how 47555 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 47555

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

47555 without 51 · national facility

$300.61

Biliary endoscopy

47555-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$150.31

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

47555 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

47555 vs 47554 vs 47536 vs 47537: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 47555
    Biliary endoscopy · 7.36 wRVU
    —
  • 47554
    Biliary endoscopy · 8.82 wRVU
    —
  • 47536
    Biliary catheter exchange · 2.54 wRVU
    $604.56
  • 47537
    Biliary catheter removal · 1.79 wRVU
    $462.60

How to choose

47554Biliary endoscopy
Choose 47554 when the endoscopic target is biliary calculi. Use 47555 for foreign material rather than stones.
47536Biliary catheter exchange
47536 describes exchange of a biliary drainage catheter. It does not represent endoscopic removal of foreign material from the biliary tree.
47537Biliary catheter removal
47537 describes removal of a biliary drainage catheter. Use 47555 when the documented service is percutaneous endoscopic removal of foreign material.

Codes related to 47555

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

Codes related to 47555
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
47552Biliary endoscopyPercutaneous biliary endoscopy for diagnostic examination, with or without specimen collection.No office rate
47553Biliary endoscopyPercutaneous biliary endoscopy with biopsy rather than foreign-material removal.No office rate
47554Biliary endoscopyRelated percutaneous endoscopy code for removal of biliary calculi.No office rate
47556Biliary endoscopyNeighboring code in the percutaneous biliary endoscopy series for a different intervention.No office rate
Used instead
47536Biliary catheter exchangeBiliary drainage catheter exchange, not endoscopic foreign-material removal.$528.06–$835.13

47555 billing questions

How is this different from 47554?

Use 47555 for endoscopic removal of foreign material. Code 47554 is the related endoscopy code for removal of biliary calculi.

Can this code describe a routine biliary drain exchange?

No. A routine exchange of a biliary drainage catheter is a different service; 47555 describes endoscopic removal of foreign material.

What documentation supports reporting 47555?

The procedure note should establish percutaneous endoscopic access into the biliary tree and identify the foreign material removed.

Should modifier 50 be appended?

No. The service is not billed as bilateral, making modifier 50 inappropriate.

How does CMS price related endoscopies performed together?

CMS applies endoscopy-family pricing when related endoscopies are performed together. The record should support each service reported.

Are assistant surgeons or co-surgeons payable?

CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and 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 47555PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,701 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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