Billing code 44389: ColonoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Nebraska
Reports examination of the colon through a stoma when the endoscopist takes one or more tissue samples during the procedure.
Medicare pays $422.64 for 44389 in the office in Nebraska (Nebraska). 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 44389 covers
Code 44389 describes endoscopic examination of the colon through an existing stoma, with tissue sampling during the procedure. A gastroenterologist or colorectal surgeon may use it to evaluate abnormal mucosa, a suspected neoplasm, or another finding in a patient with a colostomy. The access route is the stoma; a colonoscopy performed through the anus belongs to a different code family.
Report the service when the procedure note documents access through the stoma, the examination performed, and the biopsy site or sites. The code includes the colonoscopy and biopsy, whether one or multiple samples are taken; do not count biopsy sites as separate units. If the endoscopist removes a lesion or treats bleeding, select the code describing that intervention. This minor procedure has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this single examination. 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.
44389 in Nebraska
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | $422.64 | $142.09 |
How the 44389 rate is calculated
Each of 44389’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 · 44389
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.94
2.94 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.36
10.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.40
0.40 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
13.7000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$457.59
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 44389
The CMS indicators that decide how 44389 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 44389
Colonoscopy
| 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 | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| 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
44389 without 51 · national office
$457.59
Colonoscopy
44389-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$228.80
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%).
44389 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 44388Colonoscopy
- Use 44389 when tissue is sampled during colonoscopy through the stoma. Use 44388 for the stoma examination without biopsy.
- 45380Colonoscopy with biopsy
- Both include colonoscopy with biopsy, but 44389 is performed through a stoma and 45380 through the anus.
- 44392Stoma colonoscopy
- Code 44392 describes removal of a lesion through the stoma using hot biopsy forceps or bipolar cautery; 44389 describes biopsy sampling.
- 44394Stomal colonoscopy
- Code 44394 describes snare removal of a lesion through the stoma. Use 44389 when the service is biopsy rather than snare excision.
44389 billing questions
How does 44389 differ from 45380?
Code 44389 is for colonoscopy performed through a stoma. Code 45380 describes colonoscopy with biopsy through the usual anal route.
Do multiple biopsy sites create multiple units?
No. The code covers the examination with one or more biopsies; the number of sites or specimens does not create additional units.
Can the diagnostic stoma colonoscopy be billed separately?
The examination is included in 44389 when biopsy is performed during it. Do not separately report a diagnostic colonoscopy for that same examination.
Which code should be used if a lesion is removed?
Use the stoma-colonoscopy code that describes the removal technique, such as 44392 or 44394, rather than coding biopsy alone for the removal.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be reported?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this single stoma examination. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 44389.
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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