$489.01
Choose 44389 when tissue is biopsied during colonoscopy through a stoma. This code describes the diagnostic examination without that biopsy service.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
44388 Colonoscopy Medicare reimbursement rates in Connecticut
Reports diagnostic examination of the colon using a scope passed through a stoma, when no separately coded therapeutic intervention defines the service. Compare 44388 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Connecticut.
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 44388 in Connecticut?
Connecticut 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
$377.73
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Connecticut
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$148.58
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Connecticut
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.
Colonoscopy
About 44388: Diagnostic colonoscopy through a stoma
Reports diagnostic examination of the colon using a scope passed through a stoma, when no separately coded therapeutic intervention defines the service.
A gastroenterologist or colorectal surgeon passes a colonoscope through a colostomy stoma to examine the colon. This approach is used when the patient’s anatomy or the clinical plan calls for examination through the stoma rather than through the anus. The service may be performed in an office or a facility. The report should identify the stoma access, the portion of colon examined, findings, and any sampling or treatment performed.
Select this diagnostic code when the examination is performed without a separately coded therapeutic intervention. If the endoscopist biopsies tissue, removes a foreign body or lesion, or treats bleeding, use the code describing that work instead. Medicare assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Modifier 53 is separately priced in CMS data for a discontinued procedure. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Medicare does not pay assistant-at-surgery services for this code; co-surgeon and team-surgery services are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 44388
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is 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
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU2.65 · 25%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.53 · 71%
- Malpractice RVU0.41 · 4%
4K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1994 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.
44388 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Connecticut, from the same CMS release.
$461.56
Choose 44392 for lesion removal through the stoma using forceps or cautery; this code is for diagnostic examination without that therapeutic removal.
$515.67
Choose 44394 when a lesion is removed through the stoma with a snare. This code describes the diagnostic examination without snare removal.
$262.57
44385 is for endoscopic examination of a bowel pouch. This code is for examination of the colon through a stoma.
Compare 44388 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
Connecticut →
Office / nonfacility
$377.73
Facility
$148.58
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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 44388 in Connecticut.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
5,409
- Code
- 44388
- Physician work
- 2.65
- Practice expense
- 7.53
- Malpractice
- 0.41
GPCI2026.csv
38
- Locality
- Connecticut
- Physician work
- 1.020
- Practice expense
- 1.077
- Malpractice
- 1.210
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 2.65 | × 1.020 | 2.7030 |
| Practice expense | 7.53 | × 1.077 | 8.1098 |
| Malpractice | 0.41 | × 1.210 | 0.4961 |
| Total RVUs | 11.3089 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Connecticut$377.73
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.65 | 1.02 |
| Practice expense | 7.53 | 1.077 |
| Malpractice | 0.41 | 1.21 |
(2.65 × 1.02 + 7.53 × 1.077 + 0.41 × 1.21) × $33.4009 = $377.73
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.65 | 1.02 |
| Practice expense | 1.16 | 1.077 |
| Malpractice | 0.41 | 1.21 |
(2.65 × 1.02 + 1.16 × 1.077 + 0.41 × 1.21) × $33.4009 = $148.58
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.
44388 billing questions
When should the diagnostic code be replaced by a therapeutic code?
Use a code for the intervention when the endoscopist biopsies tissue, removes a foreign body or lesion, or treats bleeding through the stoma. The diagnostic examination is not separately reported as the defining service for that therapeutic work.
How is this different from colonoscopy through the anus?
This code describes scope access through a stoma. A colonoscopy performed through the anus is coded from the applicable non-stoma colonoscopy family.
Does this code cover examination of an ileal pouch?
No. Pouch endoscopy is reported with the pouch-specific code family, such as 44385, rather than this colonoscopy-through-stoma code.
How should modifier 53 be handled?
CMS lists modifier 53 as separately priced for this code. It identifies a discontinued procedure; the record should explain why the examination was stopped.
What happens when other procedures are performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and the other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. The code has a 0-day global period, which includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
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.
5,40644384,,Small bowel endoscopy,A,,2.78,0.90,NA,0.90,,0.36,4.04,4.04,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,44380,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,40744385,,Endoscopy of bowel pouch,A,,1.17,6.00,,0.68,,0.17,7.34,2.02,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,40844386,,Endoscopy bowel pouch/biop,A,,1.46,8.77,,0.79,,0.18,10.41,2.43,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,40944388,,Colonoscopy thru stoma spx,A,,2.65,7.53,,1.16,,0.41,10.59,4.22,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,41044388,53,Colonoscopy thru stoma spx,A,,1.33,3.76,,0.58,,0.21,5.30,2.12,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,41144389,,Colonoscopy with biopsy,A,,2.94,10.36,,1.26,,0.40,13.70,4.60,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,44388,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,41244390,,Colonoscopy for foreign body,A,,3.65,9.39,,1.50,,0.41,13.45,5.56,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,3,0,1,0,0,9,44388,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3501112,CA,70,YUBA CITY,1.017,1.096,0.536
3601112,CA,75,REST OF CALIFORNIA,1.017,1.096,0.536
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