No office rate
44020 describes operative examination of the small bowel as a distinct diagnostic service. Choose 44010 when the surgeon opens the bowel for exploration, biopsy, or foreign-body removal.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
44020 in Delaware
Office / nonfacility
Not available in this setting
Base rate per service
Facility setting
$901.20
Base rate per service
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
General surgery
About 44020: Operative small-bowel exploration
Reports operative examination of the small intestine, with optional biopsy, when the surgeon performs exploration as a distinct diagnostic service.
Code 44020 represents an operative examination of the small bowel, with biopsy possible, when the surgeon explores the bowel as a distinct diagnostic service. A general surgeon typically performs it in a hospital or other facility to investigate suspected small-bowel disease, such as an unclear cause of obstruction or an abnormal finding. The operative report should state why exploration was needed, which bowel was examined, the findings, and any biopsy sites.
Select 44020 for the exploration itself; use an enterotomy code when the bowel is opened for exploration, biopsy, or foreign-body removal. Exploration that is integral to a more definitive bowel operation is generally not separately reported. CMS classifies this as major surgery: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team-surgery payment is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 44020
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU15.81 · 58%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.56 · 28%
- Malpractice RVU4.03 · 15%
494
Medicare services in 2024 · #3577 by national volume
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.
44020 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Delaware, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
44021 describes decompression of the small bowel, with or without a partial enterotomy. Choose 44020 when the operative service is exploration rather than decompression.
No office rate
44005 is for freeing bowel adhesions. It describes adhesiolysis, not a diagnostic examination of the small bowel.
No office rate
44120 describes small-bowel resection with anastomosis. When exploration is part of that definitive operation, it is generally not separately reported as 44020.
The same code, a different location
How does Delaware compare?
44020 across payment areas
Same release and payment basis · bars start at $0
Delaware · This locality
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Other payment areas listed in Delaware appear first, followed by selected cross-country examples. The chart compares amounts, not distance.
The code’s RVUs stay the same in these comparisons. Geographic adjustments to work, practice expense and malpractice change the dollar amount. A city name alone may not identify the payment area for a service address.
Compare all 108 other payment areas
Alabama
Alabama · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$825.20
No comparable office rate is available.
Arkansas
Arkansas · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$814.30
No comparable office rate is available.
Arizona
Arizona · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$887.97
No comparable office rate is available.
Bakersfield
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$896.83
No comparable office rate is available.
Chico
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$885.95
No comparable office rate is available.
El Centro
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$886.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Fresno
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$885.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Hanford-Corcoran
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$885.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Madera
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$885.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Merced
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$885.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Modesto
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$885.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Napa
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$962.53
No comparable office rate is available.
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$925.18
No comparable office rate is available.
Redding
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$885.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of California
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$885.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$929.14
No comparable office rate is available.
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$912.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Salinas
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$909.25
No comparable office rate is available.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$918.87
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty)
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$996.06
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty)
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$991.48
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1022.42
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty)
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1003.71
No comparable office rate is available.
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$896.80
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$918.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$909.43
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$926.14
No comparable office rate is available.
Stockton
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$885.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Vallejo
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$955.93
No comparable office rate is available.
Visalia
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$885.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Yuba City
California · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$885.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Colorado
Colorado · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$908.20
No comparable office rate is available.
Connecticut
Connecticut · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$973.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Lauderdale
Florida · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1027.23
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Florida
Florida · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$971.78
No comparable office rate is available.
Atlanta
Georgia · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$947.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Georgia
Georgia · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$913.76
No comparable office rate is available.
Hawaii, Guam
Hawaii · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$893.11
No comparable office rate is available.
Iowa
Iowa · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$812.55
No comparable office rate is available.
Idaho
Idaho · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$824.05
No comparable office rate is available.
East St. Louis
Illinois · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1031.47
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Illinois
Illinois · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$969.00
No comparable office rate is available.
Suburban Chicago
Illinois · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1029.61
No comparable office rate is available.
Indiana
Indiana · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$827.56
No comparable office rate is available.
Kansas
Kansas · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$824.18
No comparable office rate is available.
Kentucky
Kentucky · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$875.71
No comparable office rate is available.
New Orleans
Louisiana · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$918.59
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Louisiana
Louisiana · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$880.49
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Boston
Massachusetts · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$971.02
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Massachusetts
Massachusetts · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$909.69
No comparable office rate is available.
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys
Maryland · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$973.97
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maryland
Maryland · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$912.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maine
Maine · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$844.10
No comparable office rate is available.
Southern Maine
Maine · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$863.24
No comparable office rate is available.
Detroit
Michigan · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$998.69
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Michigan
Michigan · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$910.58
No comparable office rate is available.
Minnesota
Minnesota · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$827.75
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Kansas City
Missouri · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$896.69
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan St. Louis
Missouri · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$903.33
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Missouri
Missouri · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$876.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Mississippi
Mississippi · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$844.95
No comparable office rate is available.
Montana**
Montana · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$914.92
No comparable office rate is available.
North Carolina
North Carolina · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$849.67
No comparable office rate is available.
North Dakota**
North Dakota · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$835.23
No comparable office rate is available.
Nebraska
Nebraska · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$812.02
No comparable office rate is available.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$908.71
No comparable office rate is available.
Northern Nj
New Jersey · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$998.01
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New Jersey
New Jersey · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$972.60
No comparable office rate is available.
New Mexico
New Mexico · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$921.28
No comparable office rate is available.
Nevada**
Nevada · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$892.96
No comparable office rate is available.
Nyc Suburbs/Long Island
New York · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1112.06
No comparable office rate is available.
Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs
New York · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$991.20
No comparable office rate is available.
Queens
New York · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$1054.43
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New York
New York · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$862.58
No comparable office rate is available.
Ohio
Ohio · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$894.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$858.15
No comparable office rate is available.
Portland
Oregon · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$917.20
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Oregon
Oregon · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$874.20
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$961.02
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$887.08
No comparable office rate is available.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$915.94
No comparable office rate is available.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$919.01
No comparable office rate is available.
South Carolina
South Carolina · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$875.80
No comparable office rate is available.
South Dakota**
South Dakota · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$825.81
No comparable office rate is available.
Tennessee
Tennessee · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$829.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Austin
Texas · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$915.54
No comparable office rate is available.
Beaumont
Texas · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$882.90
No comparable office rate is available.
Brazoria
Texas · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$887.52
No comparable office rate is available.
Dallas
Texas · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$899.81
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Worth
Texas · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$899.04
No comparable office rate is available.
Galveston
Texas · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$894.49
No comparable office rate is available.
Houston
Texas · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$968.25
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Texas
Texas · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$889.25
No comparable office rate is available.
Utah
Utah · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$886.30
No comparable office rate is available.
Virginia
Virginia · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$871.32
No comparable office rate is available.
Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$915.94
No comparable office rate is available.
Vermont
Vermont · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$846.16
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Washington
Washington · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$903.26
No comparable office rate is available.
Seattle (King Cnty)
Washington · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$974.28
No comparable office rate is available.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$811.43
No comparable office rate is available.
West Virginia
West Virginia · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$940.12
No comparable office rate is available.
Wyoming**
Wyoming · 44020
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$880.19
No comparable office rate is available.
See how rates vary across the country
44020 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
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 all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
Where does this rate apply?
Delaware is a Medicare payment area. Our Census mapping connects it to 79 cities and communities in Delaware, including the examples shown here.
Some communities span more than one payment area. Follow a city link to compare all of its mapped areas, or check the service-location ZIP above for an address-level starting point.
Use this rate
What is a percentage of Medicare worth?
Turn a percentage into dollars for 44020 in Delaware. This uses the base rate on this page, so the locality and release stay consistent.
Reference amount per service
$991.32
$901.20 × 110% = $991.32
A contract may specify another Medicare year or additional adjustments. This is percentage arithmetic on the displayed base rate, not a claim adjudication.
Working with a whole code list?
Compare an offer across your annual code mix, including an older Medicare schedule or flat per-code rates.
How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 44020 in Delaware.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
5,327
- Code
- 44020
- Physician work
- 15.81
- Practice expense
- 7.56
- Malpractice
- 4.03
GPCI2026.csv
40
- Locality
- Delaware
- Physician work
- 1.005
- Practice expense
- 0.988
- Malpractice
- 0.899
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 15.81 | × 1.005 | 15.8890 |
| Practice expense | 7.56 | × 0.988 | 7.4693 |
| Malpractice | 4.03 | × 0.899 | 3.6230 |
| Total RVUs | 26.9813 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Delaware$901.20
Open 44020 in the RVU calculator →
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 15.81 | 1.005 |
| Practice expense | 7.56 | 0.988 |
| Malpractice | 4.03 | 0.899 |
(15.81 × 1.005 + 7.56 × 0.988 + 4.03 × 0.899) × $33.4009 = $901.20
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
How this rate has changed
44020 · Office / nonfacility
Rate unavailable
Effective 2026-10-01
A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.
One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.
What changed, release by release
Explore release dates and calculate this code in an earlier period →
Each row uses the accepted CMS release effective on that date and the same contractor and locality identifiers. Missing rates stay visible. Historical boundaries may differ; verify the service address for an older claim.
Inspect every release and its CMS source
| Effective from | Office / nonfacility | Facility | CMS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $901.20 | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $901.20 | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $901.20 | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $901.20 | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $948.05 | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $948.05 | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $948.05 | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $948.05 | RVU25A |
44020 billing questions
When should I report 44020 rather than 44010?
Use 44020 for a distinct operative examination of the small bowel. Use 44010 when the surgeon makes an enterotomy for exploration, biopsy, or foreign-body removal.
Can 44020 be reported with a small-bowel resection?
Exploration that leads directly to a definitive bowel operation is generally integral to that operation, rather than separately reportable. The operative report should establish whether a distinct exploration was performed.
What postoperative care is included?
The major-surgery global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team-surgery payment is not permitted for this code.
What documentation supports 44020?
Document the indication, the bowel examined, operative findings, and any biopsy sites. The record should distinguish the exploration from an enterotomy or a more definitive bowel procedure.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
5,3244400F,,Rehab thxpy options w/pt,I,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,32544010,,Incision of small bowel,A,,13.90,6.89,NA,6.89,,2.64,23.43,23.43,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,32644015,,Insert needle cath bowel,A,,2.55,0.62,NA,0.62,,0.62,3.79,3.79,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,32744020,,Explore small intestine,A,,15.81,7.56,NA,7.56,,4.03,27.40,27.40,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,32844021,,Decompress small bowel,A,,15.90,7.35,NA,7.35,,3.96,27.21,27.21,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,32944025,,Incision of large bowel,A,,16.10,7.50,NA,7.50,,3.93,27.53,27.53,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,33044050,,Reduce bowel obstruction,A,,15.13,7.39,NA,7.39,,3.87,26.39,26.39,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3704112,CO,01,COLORADO,1.012,1.064,0.781
3813102,CT,00,CONNECTICUT,1.020,1.077,1.210
3912202,DC,01,DC + MD/VA SUBURBS,1.054,1.178,1.113
4012102,DE,01,DELAWARE,1.005,0.988,0.899
4109102,FL,03,FORT LAUDERDALE,1.000,1.013,1.808
4209102,FL,04,MIAMI,1.000,1.041,2.529
4309102,FL,99,REST OF FLORIDA,1.000,0.956,1.503