Billing code 47537: Biliary catheter removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Report percutaneous removal of a biliary drainage catheter when drainage is no longer needed, with fluoroscopic guidance included in the service.
Medicare pays $448.53–$489.06 for 47537 in the office in Florida, from Rest Of Florida to Miami. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 47537 covers
An interventional radiologist typically removes a biliary drainage catheter through its existing percutaneous tract when the underlying obstruction or leak has resolved, or internal drainage is adequate. This may follow a successful capping trial or other assessment showing that continued external drainage is unnecessary. The service removes the catheter; it does not describe replacing it or converting it to another catheter configuration. Fluoroscopic guidance associated with removal is included.
Report 47537 for the removal itself, supported by a procedure note documenting the catheter removed, the reason it was no longer needed, and the removal performed. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
Where 47537 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$448.53 to $489.06
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | $473.15 | $89.46 |
| Miami | $489.06 | $94.76 |
| Rest Of Florida | $448.53 | $86.43 |
How the 47537 rate is calculated
Each of 47537’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 · 47537
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.79Practice expense 11.86Malpractice 0.20
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 47537
The CMS indicators that decide how 47537 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 47537
Biliary catheter removal
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
47537 without 51 · national office
$462.60
Biliary catheter removal
47537-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$231.30
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%).
47537 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
47537 vs 47536 vs 47535 vs 47533: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 47536Biliary catheter exchange
- 47537 removes the catheter without replacement; 47536 describes exchanging an existing catheter for another.
- 47535Biliary catheter conversion
- 47537 ends catheter drainage by removal. Choose 47535 when the external catheter is converted to an internal-external configuration.
- 47533Biliary drainage
- 47537 removes an existing biliary drainage catheter; 47533 is for percutaneous placement of a new external drainage catheter.
47537 billing questions
How is removal different from catheter exchange?
Use 47537 when the biliary drainage catheter is removed without replacement. Use 47536 when an existing biliary drainage catheter is exchanged for another catheter.
Is fluoroscopic guidance separately reported?
Fluoroscopic guidance associated with the percutaneous catheter removal is included in 47537.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. The service describes removal of a biliary drainage catheter, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What does the 0-day global period include?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure payment. Care on later dates is outside that same-day global period.
How does Medicare handle other procedures in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the session are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 47537. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 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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