Billing code 49321: Laparoscopic biopsyMedicare rate & RVUs in Nebraska
Report this service when a surgeon uses laparoscopy to obtain abdominal or pelvic tissue for examination, rather than aspirating fluid or draining a collection.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 49321 in Nebraska.
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 49321 covers
The surgeon uses a laparoscope and operative instruments to remove one or more tissue samples from an abdominal or pelvic site for histologic evaluation. Common targets include a peritoneal or omental lesion or an accessible abdominal mass. The procedure is generally performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgery facility by a general surgeon or another surgeon treating the suspected disease; a gynecologic surgeon may perform it when the target is in the pelvis.
Choose this code when tissue is obtained, not when the laparoscopic service only inspects the cavity, aspirates fluid, or drains a collection. The operative report should identify the biopsy site and document tissue removal; the pathology service is separately identified when performed and billed. CMS assigns a 10-day global period, including related postoperative visits during that period. Endoscopy-family pricing applies when related endoscopies are performed together. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy. CMS permits assistant-at-surgery and co-surgeon payment; 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.
49321 in Nebraska
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nebraska | Unavailable | $294.67 |
How the 49321 rate is calculated
Each of 49321’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 · 49321
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 5.30Practice expense 3.30Malpractice 1.26
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 49321
49321 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 49321
Laparoscopic 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 | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 2 | 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 · 49321
Laparoscopic 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
49321 without 51 · national facility
$329.33
Laparoscopic biopsy
49321-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$164.67
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%).
49321 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
49321 vs 49320 vs 49322 vs 49323: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 49320Diagnostic laparoscopy
- Use 49320 for diagnostic laparoscopic inspection when no biopsy is performed. When the surgeon obtains tissue, 49321 describes the biopsy service.
- 49322Laparoscopic aspiration
- Use 49322 for laparoscopic aspiration, such as removing fluid from a cyst or cavity. Use 49321 when the surgeon removes tissue for histologic evaluation.
- 49323Lymphocele drainage
- 49323 describes laparoscopic drainage of a lymphocele; 49321 is for obtaining tissue samples, not draining the collection.
49321 billing questions
When should I report 49321 instead of 49320?
Report 49321 when the surgeon obtains tissue during the laparoscopic procedure. Code 49320 describes diagnostic laparoscopic inspection without the biopsy service.
Can I report the diagnostic laparoscopy separately with the biopsy?
Do not separately report 49320 just for the inspection used to identify or reach the biopsy target. The diagnostic code describes inspection, while 49321 describes laparoscopic tissue sampling.
Is modifier 50 appropriate when biopsies are taken on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this descriptor and anatomy; do not use modifier 50 for bilateral biopsy sites.
How are assistant and co-surgeon services handled?
CMS permits payment for an assistant at surgery and for co-surgeons. Team-surgery payment is not permitted for this code.
What postoperative care is included?
The 10-day global period includes related postoperative visits during the 10 days after the procedure.
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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