Billing code 47480: Gallbladder incisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Report this open gallbladder incision when the surgeon explores the gallbladder, drains it, or removes a calculus without removing the organ.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 47480 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 47480 covers
A surgeon makes an operative incision into the gallbladder to explore its interior, drain its contents, or remove a calculus. This is a gallbladder-preserving procedure, not removal of the gallbladder. General surgeons typically perform it in an operating room when the chosen treatment calls for direct access to the gallbladder rather than cholecystectomy or percutaneous drainage.
Report the service when the operative record supports the incision and the exploration, drainage, or calculus removal performed. Distinguish it from a bile-duct incision by documenting that the gallbladder itself was entered. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery 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 47480 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $865.14 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $825.69 |
How the 47480 rate is calculated
Each of 47480’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 · 47480
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work12.92
12.92 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.98
8.98 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.18
3.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
25.0800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$837.69
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 47480
47480 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 47480
Gallbladder incision
| 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 · 47480
Gallbladder incision
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
47480 without 51 · national facility
$837.69
Gallbladder incision
47480-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$418.85
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%).
47480 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 47490Gallbladder drainage
- 47490 describes percutaneous cholecystostomy. 47480 is the operative gallbladder incision used for exploration, drainage, or calculus removal.
- 47420Bile duct surgery
- 47420 involves incision of the bile duct, not the gallbladder. Identify the structure entered in the operative report.
- 47562Laparoscopic cholecystectomy
- 47562 is laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder. 47480 involves incision and work within the gallbladder without removing the organ.
- 47600Gallbladder removal
- 47600 is open removal of the gallbladder; 47480 is an incision procedure that preserves the gallbladder.
47480 billing questions
How is 47480 different from percutaneous cholecystostomy?
47480 describes an operative incision into the gallbladder for exploration, drainage, or calculus removal. Use 47490 for percutaneous cholecystostomy.
Does 47480 include removal of the gallbladder?
No. It describes incision and work within the gallbladder, not cholecystectomy. A laparoscopic or open gallbladder removal is reported with the applicable cholecystectomy code.
How can I distinguish this from a bile-duct incision?
The operative note should identify which structure was opened. 47480 is for the gallbladder; 47420 concerns incision of the bile duct.
What documentation supports 47480?
Document the gallbladder incision, the operative approach, and whether the surgeon explored, drained, or removed a calculus from the gallbladder.
Can modifier 50 be used, and what are the assistant rules?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period 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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