No office rate
49000 applies to exploration of the abdominal cavity. Choose 49010 when the surgeon explores the retroperitoneal space behind the peritoneum.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
49010 Retroperitoneal exploration Medicare reimbursement rates in Alaska
Report retroperitoneal exploration when a surgeon operatively evaluates the space behind the peritoneum, with biopsy included when performed. Compare 49010 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alaska.
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 49010 in Alaska?
Alaska 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
$1081.52
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alaska*
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.
Abdominal surgery
About 49010: Retroperitoneal surgical exploration
Report retroperitoneal exploration when a surgeon operatively evaluates the space behind the peritoneum, with biopsy included when performed.
This service involves surgically exposing and examining the retroperitoneal space, which lies behind the abdominal lining. A surgeon may use it to investigate suspected injury or bleeding, or to assess an abnormal mass or other finding in that space. Biopsy specimens taken during the exploration are part of the service. General, trauma, vascular, or urologic surgeons may perform it in an operating room, commonly in a hospital facility.
Report 49010 when the retroperitoneal survey is the operative service, rather than an incidental step in a more extensive procedure; the separate-procedure designation signals that distinction. The operative report should identify the retroperitoneal indication, the area examined, and any biopsy performed. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 49010
- 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 RVU15.66 · 61%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.34 · 24%
- Malpractice RVU3.88 · 15%
549
Medicare services in 2024 · #3470 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.
49010 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alaska, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
49002 describes reopening a prior abdominal incision. It is not the code for retroperitoneal exploration itself.
No office rate
49060 is for open drainage of a retroperitoneal abscess. 49010 represents exploration, with biopsy included when performed, rather than abscess drainage.
Compare 49010 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
Alaska* →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1081.52
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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 49010 in Alaska*.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
5,763
- Code
- 49010
- Physician work
- 15.66
- Practice expense
- 6.34
- Malpractice
- 3.88
GPCI2026.csv
5
- Locality
- Alaska*
- Physician work
- 1.500
- Practice expense
- 1.065
- Malpractice
- 0.551
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 15.66 | × 1.500 | 23.4900 |
| Practice expense | 6.34 | × 1.065 | 6.7521 |
| Malpractice | 3.88 | × 0.551 | 2.1379 |
| Total RVUs | 32.3800 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Alaska*$1081.52
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 15.66 | 1.5 |
| Practice expense | 6.34 | 1.065 |
| Malpractice | 3.88 | 0.551 |
(15.66 × 1.5 + 6.34 × 1.065 + 3.88 × 0.551) × $33.4009 = $1081.52
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.
49010 billing questions
When should 49010 be used instead of 49000?
Use 49010 for exploration of the retroperitoneal space behind the peritoneum. Code 49000 describes exploration of the abdominal cavity, a different anatomic compartment.
Is a biopsy separately reported with 49010?
Biopsy performed as part of the retroperitoneal exploration is included in 49010. Document the site and findings, along with the biopsy, in the operative report.
Can 49010 be reported with another operation in the same session?
The separate-procedure designation means it is not separately reported when the exploration is integral to a more extensive procedure. If separately reportable procedures are performed in one session, CMS applies the standard multiple procedure reduction.
Should modifier 50 be used for right- and left-sided retroperitoneal work?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; do not use modifier 50.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
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.
5,76048999,,Unlisted procedure pancreas,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,2,1,1,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,76149000,,Exploration of abdomen,A,,12.23,6.58,NA,6.58,,3.01,21.82,21.82,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,76249002,,Reopening of abdomen,A,,17.19,7.71,NA,7.71,,4.27,29.17,29.17,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,76349010,,Exploration behind abdomen,A,,15.66,6.34,NA,6.34,,3.88,25.88,25.88,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,76449013,,Prpertl pel pack hemrrg trma,A,,8.14,1.97,NA,1.97,,2.17,12.28,12.28,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,76549014,,Reexploration pelvic wound,A,,6.56,2.05,NA,2.05,,1.75,10.36,10.36,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,76649020,,Drainage abdom abscess open,A,,26.00,12.21,NA,12.21,,6.34,44.55,44.55,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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
801112,CA,54,BAKERSFIELD,1.019,1.096,0.609