$1,301.46
Choose 47533 when the catheter drains bile externally. Choose 47534 when it provides internal-external drainage.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
47533 Biliary drainage Medicare reimbursement rates in Connecticut
Percutaneous placement of an external biliary drainage catheter to divert bile when normal drainage through the biliary tract is impaired. Compare 47533 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 47533 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
$1188.99
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Connecticut
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$236.79
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.
Interventional radiology
About 47533: Percutaneous external biliary drain placement
Percutaneous placement of an external biliary drainage catheter to divert bile when normal drainage through the biliary tract is impaired.
An interventional radiologist typically places this catheter through the skin and liver into the biliary system, using imaging to guide access and catheter positioning. The external catheter directs bile out of the body into a collection bag, commonly to relieve obstruction from a stricture, stone, or tumor when external drainage is needed. Diagnostic cholangiography and imaging guidance are included when performed, along with the associated radiological supervision and interpretation.
Report 47533 for initial placement of an external drain; use 47534 when the catheter provides internal-external drainage. The record should support the access, catheter placement, drainage approach, and clinical need. The 0-day global includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 47533
- 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 RVU5.25 · 16%
- Practice expense (office) RVU27.44 · 83%
- Malpractice RVU0.57 · 2%
1.1K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2889 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.
47533 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Connecticut, from the same CMS release.
$908.29
47533 reports initial external catheter placement; 47535 reports conversion of an existing external catheter to internal-external drainage.
$647.52
47536 is for exchanging an existing drainage catheter, not placing the initial external drain.
$3,757.60
47538 reports percutaneous biliary stent placement for internal drainage, rather than placement of an external drainage catheter.
Compare 47533 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
$1188.99
Facility
$236.79
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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 47533 in Connecticut.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
5,685
- Code
- 47533
- Physician work
- 5.25
- Practice expense
- 27.44
- Malpractice
- 0.57
GPCI2026.csv
38
- Locality
- Connecticut
- Physician work
- 1.020
- Practice expense
- 1.077
- Malpractice
- 1.210
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 5.25 | × 1.020 | 5.3550 |
| Practice expense | 27.44 | × 1.077 | 29.5529 |
| Malpractice | 0.57 | × 1.210 | 0.6897 |
| Total RVUs | 35.5976 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Connecticut$1188.99
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5.25 | 1.02 |
| Practice expense | 27.44 | 1.077 |
| Malpractice | 0.57 | 1.21 |
(5.25 × 1.02 + 27.44 × 1.077 + 0.57 × 1.21) × $33.4009 = $1188.99
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5.25 | 1.02 |
| Practice expense | 0.97 | 1.077 |
| Malpractice | 0.57 | 1.21 |
(5.25 × 1.02 + 0.97 × 1.077 + 0.57 × 1.21) × $33.4009 = $236.79
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.
47533 billing questions
How does 47533 differ from 47534?
47533 describes an external drainage catheter that directs bile outside the body. Use 47534 for a catheter that drains both externally and internally.
Can diagnostic cholangiography be billed separately with 47533?
Diagnostic cholangiography performed as part of the catheter placement is included in 47533. The code also includes imaging guidance and associated radiological supervision and interpretation.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for bilateral biliary drainage?
No. The descriptor and anatomy make bilateral adjustment inappropriate for 47533.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 47533. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How is 47533 affected when other procedures are performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.
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.
5,68247490,,Incision of gallbladder,A,,4.64,3.80,NA,3.80,,0.49,8.93,8.93,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,68347531,,Injection for cholangiogram,A,,1.27,10.52,,0.44,,0.14,11.93,1.85,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,68447532,,Injection for cholangiogram,A,,4.14,19.60,,0.84,,0.49,24.23,5.47,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,68547533,,Plmt biliary drainage cath,A,,5.25,27.44,,0.97,,0.57,33.26,6.79,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,68647534,,Plmt biliary drainage cath,A,,7.41,28.24,,1.26,,0.82,36.47,9.49,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,68747535,,Conversion ext bil drg cath,A,,3.85,21.12,,0.79,,0.43,25.40,5.07,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,68847536,,Exchange biliary drg cath,A,,2.54,15.28,,0.61,,0.28,18.10,3.43,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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