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CPT 48001: Pancreatic drainMedicare rate & RVUs

Operative placement of a pancreatic drain is reported when a surgeon positions a drain to provide drainage or decompression at the pancreas.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $2,128.64 for 48001 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 48001

Pancreatic drain

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
38.7
Total RVUs
63.73
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$2,128.64

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 48001 →

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 48001 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 48001 covers

This service involves a surgeon placing a drain at the pancreas to allow pancreatic fluid or secretions to drain. It is performed as an operative service when drainage or decompression is part of the surgical plan. The operative report should identify the pancreatic target and describe the placement, including the drain’s position and intended drainage route.

Select this code for the pancreatic drain placement itself, rather than for drainage directed at a peritoneal collection or for removal of a pancreatic stone. The record should establish the clinical reason for drainage and the work performed. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation. Modifier 50 is inappropriate, 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 48001 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

48001 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,917.11
Alaska*Unavailable$2,651.26
ArizonaUnavailable$2,063.58
ArkansasUnavailable$1,891.61
AtlantaUnavailable$2,209.97
AustinUnavailable$2,120.14
BakersfieldUnavailable$2,064.78
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$2,267.16
BeaumontUnavailable$2,059.98
BrazoriaUnavailable$2,058.37

48001 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
48001 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 48001 rate is calculated

Each of 48001’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 · 48001

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 38.70Practice expense 14.66Malpractice 10.37

63.7300 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$2,128.64

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 48001

48001 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 48001

Pancreatic drain

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 · 48001

Pancreatic drain

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

48001 without 51 · national facility

$2,128.64

Pancreatic drain

48001-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,064.32

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

48001 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

48001 vs 48000 vs 48105 vs 48020: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 48001
    Pancreatic drain · 38.7 wRVU
    —
  • 48000
    Pancreatic cyst drainage · 31.15 wRVU
    —
  • 48105
    Pancreatic trauma surgery · 48.03 wRVU
    —
  • 48020
    Pancreatic stone removal · 18.61 wRVU
    —

How to choose

48000Pancreatic cyst drainage
This code concerns drain placement at the pancreas. Code 48000 is for drainage directed at a peritoneal abscess or localized peritonitis.
48105Pancreatic trauma surgery
Code 48105 describes operative drainage of a pancreatic pseudocyst. Use 48001 when the documented service is pancreatic drain placement.
48020Pancreatic stone removal
Code 48020 is for removal of a pancreatic calculus. It represents stone removal, not pancreatic drain placement.

Codes related to 48001

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

Codes related to 48001
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
48000Pancreatic cyst drainageUsed when the operative drainage target is a peritoneal abscess or localized peritonitis.No office rate
48105Pancreatic trauma surgeryDescribes operative pancreatic pseudocyst drainage rather than placement of a pancreatic drain.No office rate
Often billed with
48140Pancreas resectionA pancreatic drain may be placed during distal pancreatectomy; documentation should identify the work performed.No office rate

48001 billing questions

How is this different from drainage of an abdominal collection?

Use this code when the operative drain is placed at the pancreas. Code 48000 concerns drainage directed at a peritoneal abscess or localized peritonitis.

Is pancreatic drain placement the same as draining a pseudocyst?

No. Code 48105 describes operative drainage of a pancreatic pseudocyst; choose the code that matches the procedure actually performed and documented.

What should the operative report document?

Document the indication, pancreatic site, drain placement, and intended drainage route. The record should make clear that the work involved placement of a pancreatic drain.

Can modifier 50 be used?

No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this pancreatic drain placement.

How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative care?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. 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 48001PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,731 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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