No office rate
49320 describes diagnostic laparoscopy. Choose 49322 when the surgeon performs aspiration of a cyst or cavity, not merely inspection.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
49322 Laparoscopic aspiration Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama
Report this service when a surgeon uses laparoscopy to aspirate a cavity or cyst, such as an ovarian cyst, during an operative procedure. Compare 49322 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alabama.
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.
What does Medicare pay for 49322 in Alabama?
Alabama has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$320.77
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alabama
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Laparoscopic surgery
About 49322: Laparoscopic aspiration of cyst or cavity
Report this service when a surgeon uses laparoscopy to aspirate a cavity or cyst, such as an ovarian cyst, during an operative procedure.
A surgeon uses a laparoscope and instruments inserted through small abdominal incisions to aspirate fluid from a cavity or cyst. Gynecologic surgeons commonly perform the procedure for an ovarian cyst; other surgeons may use it for another suitable abdominal or pelvic cystic space. The code covers aspiration of one or multiple cysts or cavities during the procedure, rather than a separate service for each one.
Choose this code when the operative report documents laparoscopic aspiration, the treated site, and the procedure performed. It differs from laparoscopic biopsy, which obtains tissue rather than aspirating a cyst or cavity. Medicare assigns a 10-day global period, so related postoperative visits during that period are included. When related endoscopies are performed together, endoscopy family pricing applies. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. CMS permits payment for an assistant at surgery and co-surgeons; team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 49322
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 10-day global period: related postoperative visits for 10 days are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together.
- 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 permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU5.86 · 55%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.36 · 32%
- Malpractice RVU1.42 · 13%
1.3K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2772 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.
49322 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
49321 is for obtaining tissue by laparoscopic biopsy; 49322 is for aspirating fluid from a cyst or cavity.
No office rate
49323 is specific to laparoscopic drainage of a lymphocele. Use 49322 for aspiration of another cavity or cyst, such as an ovarian cyst.
Compare 49322 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Alabama →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$320.77
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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 49322 in Alabama.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
5,785
- Code
- 49322
- Physician work
- 5.86
- Practice expense
- 3.36
- Malpractice
- 1.42
GPCI2026.csv
4
- Locality
- Alabama
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.875
- Malpractice
- 0.566
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 5.86 | × 1.000 | 5.8600 |
| Practice expense | 3.36 | × 0.875 | 2.9400 |
| Malpractice | 1.42 | × 0.566 | 0.8037 |
| Total RVUs | 9.6037 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Alabama$320.77
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5.86 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 3.36 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 1.42 | 0.566 |
(5.86 × 1 + 3.36 × 0.875 + 1.42 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $320.77
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.
49322 billing questions
How is this different from 49321?
Use 49322 when the surgeon aspirates fluid from a cavity or cyst. Code 49321 is for laparoscopic biopsy, where tissue is obtained.
Should each aspirated cyst be reported as a separate unit?
No. The service includes aspiration of a single or multiple cysts or cavities; do not report a separate unit for each one.
Can modifier 50 be used for cysts on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 should not be used.
What postoperative care is included?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure payment.
What happens when another related endoscopy is performed in the same session?
Endoscopy family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together. Document each procedure and its distinct clinical purpose in the operative report.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS permits payment for an assistant at surgery and for co-surgeons. Team surgery is not permitted for this code.
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.
5,78249255,,Removal of omentum,A,,12.25,7.40,NA,7.40,,2.86,22.51,22.51,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,78349320,,Diag laparo separate proc,A,,5.01,3.23,NA,3.23,,1.23,9.47,9.47,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,78449321,,Laparoscopy biopsy,A,,5.30,3.30,NA,3.30,,1.26,9.86,9.86,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,3,0,2,2,0,9,49320,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,78549322,,Laparoscopy aspiration,A,,5.86,3.36,NA,3.36,,1.42,10.64,10.64,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,3,0,2,2,0,9,49320,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,78649323,,Laparo drain lymphocele,A,,9.97,5.79,NA,5.79,,2.33,18.09,18.09,0,090,0.10,0.80,0.10,3,0,2,2,0,9,49320,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,78749324,,Lap insert tunnel ip cath,A,,6.16,3.19,NA,3.19,,1.61,10.96,10.96,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,3,0,2,2,0,9,49320,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,78849325,,Lap revision perm ip cath,A,,6.65,3.26,NA,3.26,,1.73,11.64,11.64,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,3,0,2,2,0,9,49320,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1ADDENDUM E. FINAL CY 2026 GEOGRAPHIC PRACTICE COST INDICES (GPCIs) BY STATE AND MEDICARE LOCALITY,,,,,,
2,,,,,,
3Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC),State,Locality Number,Locality Name,2026 PW GPCI (with 1.0 Floor)***,2026 PE GPCI,2026 MP GPCI
410112,AL,00,ALABAMA,1.000,0.875,0.566
502102,AK,01,ALASKA*,1.500,1.065,0.551
603102,AZ,00,ARIZONA,1.000,0.969,0.856
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515