Billing code 44950: AppendectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports open surgical removal of the appendix, typically as the primary operation for acute appendicitis without the complications assigned to a separate code.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 44950 in Georgia.
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 44950 covers
This code describes open removal of the appendix, commonly performed by a general surgeon in a hospital operating room for acute appendicitis. The surgeon reaches the appendix through an abdominal incision rather than using a laparoscopic approach. Emergency cases often follow evaluation for right lower quadrant pain and imaging or examination findings consistent with appendicitis.
Select the code based on the operative approach and documented disease findings. The operative report should support removal of the appendix by open approach; rupture with an abscess or generalized peritonitis points to 44960, while laparoscopic removal points to 44970. The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Do not append modifier 50 for this single-organ operation. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team-surgery payment is 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 44950 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $626.89 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $603.61 |
How the 44950 rate is calculated
Each of 44950’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 · 44950
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 10.34Practice expense 5.18Malpractice 2.61
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 44950
44950 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 44950
Appendectomy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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) | 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. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.81/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 44950
Appendectomy
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
44950 without 51 · national facility
$605.56
Appendectomy
44950-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$302.78
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%).
44950 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
44950 vs 44960 vs 44970 vs 44955 vs 44900: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 44960Appendectomy
- This code is for open appendectomy without the specific complicated findings assigned to 44960. Choose 44960 when the appendix is ruptured with an abscess or generalized peritonitis.
- 44970Appendectomy
- 44970 is the laparoscopic appendectomy code. Use 44950 when the surgeon removes the appendix through an open incision.
- 44955Appendectomy
- 44955 is used when appendectomy is performed for an indicated purpose during another major procedure; it is reported with that primary procedure rather than as the standalone open appendectomy.
- 44900Abscess drainage
- 44900 describes open drainage of an appendiceal abscess. It represents abscess drainage, not removal of the appendix.
44950 billing questions
How does 44950 differ from 44960?
Use 44950 for open appendectomy when the operative findings do not meet the 44960 circumstance. Code 44960 is for a ruptured appendix with abscess or generalized peritonitis.
When should 44970 be reported instead?
Report 44970 when the appendix is removed laparoscopically. Code 44950 describes the open approach.
Is 44955 an add-on to 44950?
44955 describes appendectomy performed for an indicated purpose during another major procedure and is reported in addition to that primary procedure. It is not an add-on to 44950.
What documentation supports 44950?
The operative report should establish that the appendix was removed through an open approach and describe the relevant operative findings. Document rupture, abscess, or generalized peritonitis when present to support code selection.
Can modifier 50 be used for 44950?
No. The appendix is a single organ, so modifier 50 is not appropriate.
How is related postoperative care handled?
The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related 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 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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