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Billing code 47620: Gallbladder surgeryMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports gallbladder removal combined with common bile duct exploration and creation of a drainage connection to the intestine.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $1,282.93 for 47620 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 47620

Gallbladder surgery

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
22.49
Total RVUs
38.41
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,282.93

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 47620 → · 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 47620 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 47620 covers

This open operation removes the gallbladder, explores the common bile duct, and creates a connection between the bile duct and intestine to provide drainage. General or hepatobiliary surgeons may perform it for complex biliary disease, such as duct obstruction or a stricture requiring a bypass, in a hospital operating room. The operative report should establish that all three parts of the procedure were performed; gallbladder removal or duct exploration alone does not describe this service.

Report the combined procedure when the documented work includes cholecystectomy, common duct exploration, and choledochoenterostomy. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires 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 47620 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

47620 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,154.33
Alaska*Unavailable$1,589.73
ArizonaUnavailable$1,243.72
ArkansasUnavailable$1,138.78
AtlantaUnavailable$1,330.89
AustinUnavailable$1,280.69
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,250.33
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,366.74
BeaumontUnavailable$1,238.89
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,241.73

47620 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
47620 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 47620 rate is calculated

Each of 47620’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 · 47620

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 22.49Practice expense 9.90Malpractice 6.02

38.4100 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,282.93

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 47620

47620 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 47620

Gallbladder surgery

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 · 47620

Gallbladder surgery

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

47620 without 51 · national facility

$1,282.93

Gallbladder surgery

47620-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$641.47

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

47620 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

47620 vs 47600 vs 47605 vs 47610 vs 47612: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 47620
    Gallbladder surgery · 22.49 wRVU
    —
  • 47600
    Gallbladder removal · 17.04 wRVU
    —
  • 47605
    Cholecystectomy · 18.02 wRVU
    —
  • 47610
    Gallbladder surgery · 20.4 wRVU
    —
  • 47612
    Gallbladder surgery · 20.68 wRVU
    —

How to choose

47600Gallbladder removal
47600 describes cholecystectomy alone. Choose 47620 when the surgeon also explores the common duct and creates a choledochoenterostomy.
47605Cholecystectomy
47605 adds cholangiography to cholecystectomy. It does not describe the duct exploration and enteric bypass combination reported with 47620.
47610Gallbladder surgery
47610 includes common duct exploration with cholecystectomy. 47620 additionally requires a choledochoenterostomy.
47612Gallbladder surgery
47612 describes duct exploration with cholecystectomy and cholangiography. 47620 is distinguished by the choledochoenterostomy.

Codes related to 47620

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

Codes related to 47620
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
47600Gallbladder removalCholecystectomy without the duct exploration and enteric bypass included in 47620.No office rate
47605CholecystectomyCholecystectomy with cholangiography, without the duct exploration and bypass combination.No office rate
47610Gallbladder surgeryCholecystectomy with common duct exploration, but without choledochoenterostomy.No office rate
47612Gallbladder surgeryCholecystectomy with duct exploration and cholangiography, without the enteric bypass.No office rate

47620 billing questions

When is 47620 appropriate instead of 47610?

Use 47620 when the operation includes a choledochoenterostomy in addition to gallbladder removal and common duct exploration. 47610 describes duct exploration with cholecystectomy without that bypass.

Does this code include gallbladder removal and duct exploration?

Yes. The reported service combines cholecystectomy, exploration of the common bile duct, and a choledochoenterostomy; the operative report should document each part.

Should modifier 50 be appended?

No. Bilateral adjustment is inappropriate for this code and the anatomy described.

What postoperative care is included?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

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 47620PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,712 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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