Billing code 49405: Visceral drainageMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports image-guided percutaneous catheter drainage of a collection within a visceral organ, such as an abscess or cyst, in the peritoneal or retroperitoneal region.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities4.7K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $837.69 for 49405 nationally in the office and $166.67 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $733.12–$1,152.00.

Medicare rate · 49405

Visceral drainage

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
3.9
Total RVUs
25.08
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$837.69

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 49405 → · 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 49405 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 49405 covers

A physician, commonly an interventional radiologist, uses imaging to guide a catheter through the skin into a fluid collection within a visceral organ and establish drainage. A typical example is catheter drainage of a liver abscess. The procedure is generally performed in a hospital or other imaging suite, with the catheter left in place to drain the collection as clinically indicated.

Select this service when the collection is within a visceral structure; a collection located in the peritoneal or retroperitoneal space is distinguished by the target anatomy. Document the collection’s location, the percutaneous approach, image guidance, and catheter placement. Imaging guidance is included in the drainage service. The procedure has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery payment is 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 49405 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 payment localities

$733.12 to $1152.00

$733.12$942.56$1152.00
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

49405 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$744.93$157.78
Alaska*$941.60$226.96
Arizona$814.18$163.96
Arkansas$733.12$156.71
Atlanta$852.00$170.24
Austin$876.57$166.63
Bakersfield$901.25$165.81
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$893.72$173.71
Beaumont$774.29$163.66
Brazoria$829.41$164.42

49405 rates by state

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

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.

$733.12

$1,025.99

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
49405 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$941.601
AL$744.931
AR$733.121
AZ$814.181
CA$899.97–$1,152.0029
CO$880.561
CT$896.641
DC$969.741
DE$828.611
FL$814.24–$887.573
GA$765.50–$852.002
GU$926.781
HI$926.781
IA$770.301
ID$774.831
IL$785.27–$868.164
IN$779.871
KS$764.171
KY$759.531
LA$757.36–$798.692
MA$873.68–$976.012
MD$846.17–$969.743
ME$776.92–$826.282
MI$779.18–$823.052
MN$847.931
MO$741.64–$804.443
MS$737.651
MT$837.671
NC$786.171
ND$829.361
NE$775.581
NH$864.371
NJ$908.06–$957.802
NM$782.961
NV$836.051
NY$798.86–$989.115
OH$777.481
OK$760.371
OR$830.75–$913.162
PA$780.06–$871.182
PR$845.111
RI$861.541
SC$782.891
SD$828.381
TN$768.101
TX$774.29–$876.578
UT$794.661
VA$821.78–$969.742
VI$845.111
VT$823.831
WA$872.79–$999.042
WI$798.861
WV$752.911
WY$834.051

How the 49405 rate is calculated

Each of 49405’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 · 49405

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 3.90Practice expense 20.76Malpractice 0.42

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 49405

The CMS indicators that decide how 49405 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 49405

Visceral drainage

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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)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

49405 without 51 · national office

$837.69

Visceral drainage

49405-51 · 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

49405 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

49405 vs 49406 vs 49407 vs 49423: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 49405
    Visceral drainage · 3.9 wRVU
    $837.69
  • 49406
    Catheter drainage · 3.9 wRVU
    $837.03−$0.66
  • 49407
    Pelvic drainage · 4.14 wRVU
    $736.82−$100.87
  • 49423
    Drain catheter exchange · 1.42 wRVU
    $549.44−$288.25

How to choose

49406Catheter drainage
Choose 49405 when the collection is within a visceral organ. Choose 49406 when the target is a collection in the peritoneal or retroperitoneal space.
49407Pelvic drainage
49407 describes collection drainage through a transvaginal or transrectal route. This code describes percutaneous catheter drainage of a visceral collection.
49423Drain catheter exchange
49423 is for exchanging a drainage catheter already in place. This code is for image-guided percutaneous catheter drainage of a visceral collection.

49405 billing questions

How is this code distinguished from 49406?

Use 49405 for a collection within a visceral organ. Code 49406 is for a peritoneal or retroperitoneal collection rather than a collection within a visceral structure.

Is imaging guidance separately reported?

No. Imaging guidance is included in this drainage service.

What documentation supports code selection?

Document the collection’s anatomic location, percutaneous access, use of imaging guidance, and catheter placement. The record should make clear that the target is within a visceral organ.

Does the service have a global period?

It has a 0-day global period. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.

Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be used?

Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code.

How are multiple procedures in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the same session are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.

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 49405PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 5,794 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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