Billing code 47100: Liver biopsyMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports surgical removal of a wedge-shaped liver sample for tissue diagnosis, rather than a needle sample or therapeutic liver resection.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 47100 in Alaska.
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 9 sections
What 47100 covers
The surgeon removes a wedge-shaped piece of liver tissue for diagnostic examination, commonly during an abdominal operation when direct surgical access to the liver is available. The specimen is sent for pathology to assess suspected disease or clarify findings such as a liver lesion or diffuse tissue abnormality. This is distinct from sampling the liver with a needle and from removing liver tissue as treatment.
Report the service when the operative documentation supports an actual wedge-shaped tissue biopsy; document the specimen and the reason for sampling. A pathology examination may be reported separately by the laboratory or pathologist. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When performed in the same session as other procedures subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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.
47100 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $995.93 |
How the 47100 rate is calculated
Each of 47100’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 · 47100
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 12.59Practice expense 8.62Malpractice 3.18
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 47100
47100 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 47100
Liver biopsy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.81/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 47100
Liver biopsy
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
47100 without 51 · national facility
$814.65
Liver biopsy
47100-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$407.33
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%).
47100 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
47100 vs 47000 vs 47001 vs 47120: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 47000Liver biopsy
- Use 47000 for percutaneous needle sampling. Use 47100 when the surgeon removes a wedge-shaped sample.
- 47001Liver biopsy
- 47001 describes needle biopsy performed during another major procedure. 47100 describes a wedge biopsy, not needle sampling.
- 47120Liver resection
- 47120 represents partial liver removal, rather than tissue sampling for diagnosis. The operative purpose and extent of tissue removal distinguish it from 47100.
47100 billing questions
How does 47100 differ from a needle liver biopsy?
47100 is for surgical removal of a wedge-shaped piece of liver. A needle biopsy uses a needle to obtain the sample; use the code that matches the documented sampling method.
Can the pathology examination be reported separately?
Yes. The pathologist or laboratory may report the applicable surgical pathology service for examination of the liver biopsy specimen, such as 88307.
What documentation supports 47100?
The operative report should describe removal of a wedge-shaped liver sample, the reason for the biopsy, and the specimen submitted for examination.
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.
How is 47100 paid when performed with another procedure in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.
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
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