$1,132.32–$1,199.54
Use 47534 for initial placement of an internal-external biliary drainage catheter. Use 47535 when an existing external catheter is converted to internal-external drainage.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
47535 Biliary catheter conversion Medicare reimbursement rates in Maine
Reports percutaneous conversion of an existing external biliary drainage catheter to an internal-external catheter, including cholangiography and imaging guidance. Compare 47535 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Maine.
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 47535 in Maine?
Maine has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$786.52–$836.73
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$161.80–$163.81
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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 47535: External-to-internal biliary catheter conversion
Reports percutaneous conversion of an existing external biliary drainage catheter to an internal-external catheter, including cholangiography and imaging guidance.
An interventional radiologist converts an existing external biliary drainage catheter by directing the catheter across the biliary obstruction and into the bowel, creating internal-external drainage. The service is typically performed in a hospital imaging suite for a patient whose biliary obstruction was initially managed with external drainage and can now be traversed. Diagnostic cholangiography, imaging guidance, and the associated radiological supervision and interpretation are included in the conversion service.
Report this code when the existing external catheter is converted, rather than when a catheter is newly placed or an existing catheter is simply exchanged. The procedure note should identify the prior external catheter, document the conversion and final catheter position, and support the cholangiographic and imaging work. The service 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; assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 47535
- 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 RVU3.85 · 15%
- Practice expense (office) RVU21.12 · 83%
- Malpractice RVU0.43 · 2%
338
Medicare services in 2024 · #3894 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.
47535 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Maine, from the same CMS release.
$560.19–$596.51
Use 47536 for exchange of an existing biliary drainage catheter. Use 47535 when the procedure converts an existing external catheter to internal-external drainage.
$1,030.40–$1,095.64
Use 47533 for initial placement of an external biliary drainage catheter. It does not describe conversion of an existing external catheter to internal-external drainage.
Compare 47535 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Rest Of Maine →
Office / nonfacility
$786.52
Facility
$161.80
Southern Maine →
Office / nonfacility
$836.73
Facility
$163.81
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47535 billing questions
How is conversion different from initial internal-external catheter placement?
Use 47535 when an existing external biliary drainage catheter is converted to internal-external drainage. Initial placement of an internal-external catheter is reported with 47534.
How is conversion different from catheter exchange?
Code 47535 describes changing an existing external catheter into an internal-external drainage catheter. Code 47536 describes exchange of an existing biliary drainage catheter, not this conversion.
Can cholangiography or imaging guidance be billed separately?
Diagnostic cholangiography, imaging guidance, and associated radiological supervision and interpretation are included in 47535.
Should modifier 50 be appended?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service.
What documentation supports reporting 47535?
Document the existing external catheter, the percutaneous conversion, cholangiographic findings, and the final internal-external catheter position.
How are other same-session procedures handled?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures in the same session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; 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 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.
5,68447532,,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
5,68947537,,Removal biliary drg cath,A,,1.79,11.86,,0.52,,0.20,13.85,2.51,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,69047538,,Perq plmt bile duct stent,A,,4.63,99.51,,0.92,,0.50,104.64,6.05,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00