Billing code 47550: Biliary endoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports direct endoscopic inspection of the bile ducts during an operation, such as cholecystectomy with duct exploration, as an add-on to the primary procedure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 47550 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 47550 covers
During an operation, the surgeon passes an endoscope into the biliary tree to inspect the ducts directly. This may help assess the common bile duct when stones or another duct abnormality are suspected during gallbladder or bile duct surgery. The service is performed in the operating room as part of the operative encounter; it is not the same as imaging the ducts with contrast or endoscopy through a percutaneous access tract.
Report 47550 only with an eligible primary procedure, not as a stand-alone service. The operative report should identify the primary operation and document that biliary endoscopy was performed, including the duct examined and relevant findings. CMS treats this as an add-on paid within the primary procedure’s global period, so it does not establish a separate global period. The endoscopic inspection is distinct from the primary operation’s description; select the primary code according to the operation actually performed.
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.
47550 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $184.91 |
How the 47550 rate is calculated
Each of 47550’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 · 47550
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 2.94Practice expense 0.69Malpractice 0.71
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 47550
The CMS indicators that decide how 47550 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 47550
Biliary endoscopy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 80 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
47550 without 80 · national facility
$144.96
Biliary endoscopy
47550-80 · Assistant: 16%
$23.19
A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.
47550 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
47550 vs 47563 vs 47564 vs 47552: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 47563Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
- 47563 reports laparoscopic gallbladder removal with contrast cholangiography. Use 47550 for intraoperative endoscopic viewing of the bile ducts, not for the contrast study.
- 47564Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
- 47564 describes laparoscopic cholecystectomy with common duct exploration. 47550 is the add-on for intraoperative biliary endoscopy when performed with an eligible primary procedure.
- 47552Biliary endoscopy
- 47552 describes diagnostic biliary endoscopy through percutaneous access, with specimen collection when performed. 47550 is for endoscopy during an operation.
47550 billing questions
Can 47550 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with an eligible primary procedure.
How is 47550 different from 47563?
47550 represents endoscopic inspection of the bile ducts during surgery. 47563 describes laparoscopic cholecystectomy with cholangiography, which uses contrast imaging rather than direct endoscopic viewing.
Does 47550 create its own global period?
No. CMS places its payment within the primary procedure’s global period; it does not establish a separate global period.
What should the operative note support?
Document the primary operation and the intraoperative endoscopic examination of the biliary tree, including the duct examined and the findings.
Is percutaneous biliary endoscopy reported with 47550?
No. 47550 is for endoscopy performed intraoperatively; percutaneous biliary endoscopy codes describe procedures through percutaneous access.
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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