Billing code 48102: Pancreatic biopsyMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports percutaneous needle sampling of a pancreatic lesion for diagnosis, typically performed with imaging guidance by an interventional radiologist or surgeon.
Medicare pays $460.89–$501.58 for 48102 in the office in Georgia, from Rest Of Georgia to Atlanta. 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 48102 covers
A clinician advances a needle through the skin to obtain pancreatic tissue for diagnostic evaluation, commonly when imaging identifies a suspicious mass. Interventional radiologists and surgeons typically perform the procedure in a hospital imaging or procedure suite, often using imaging to guide the needle. This code describes the percutaneous route; an open biopsy or an endoscopic ultrasound-guided tissue acquisition uses a different code pathway.
Select the code when the documented approach is percutaneous needle biopsy of the pancreas, and record the target, route, sampling performed, and clinical reason. The 10-day global period includes related postoperative visits during that period. When another procedure subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction is performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; 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 48102 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | $501.58 | $208.04 |
| Rest Of Georgia | $460.89 | $203.17 |
How the 48102 rate is calculated
Each of 48102’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 · 48102
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 4.58Practice expense 9.68Malpractice 0.49
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 48102
48102 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 48102
Pancreatic biopsy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 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. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 48102
Pancreatic biopsy
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
48102 without 51 · national office
$492.66
Pancreatic biopsy
48102-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$246.33
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%).
48102 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
48102 vs 48100 vs 43242 vs 48120: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 48100Pancreatic biopsy
- Choose 48102 for percutaneous needle sampling; 48100 describes biopsy through an open surgical approach.
- 43242EUS-guided biopsy
- Choose 43242 when tissue acquisition is performed endoscopically with ultrasound guidance, rather than by a needle passed through the skin.
- 48120Pancreatic lesion excision
- 48120 describes removal of a pancreatic lesion; 48102 is for needle sampling rather than lesion excision.
48102 billing questions
How does this differ from an open pancreatic biopsy?
48102 is for a needle biopsy performed through the skin. Use 48100 when the biopsy is performed through an open surgical approach.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for biopsies on both sides of the pancreas?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable for this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for the descriptor and anatomy.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported during the global period?
Related postoperative visits for 10 days are included in the 10-day global period.
What documentation supports reporting 48102?
Document that the pancreatic target was sampled with a needle through a percutaneous route, along with the target and diagnostic reason. The record should distinguish this approach from open or endoscopic ultrasound-guided sampling.
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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