Billing code 43888: Gastric port exchangeMedicare rate & RVUs in Nevada
Reports open removal and replacement of the subcutaneous access port in a gastric restrictive system when the work is limited to that component.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 43888 in Nevada.
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 43888 covers
This service covers open surgery to remove and replace the subcutaneous access port used with an adjustable gastric band system. A bariatric or general surgeon may perform it when the port component requires exchange, while the work is limited to that component rather than revision of the gastric band or the overall restrictive procedure. The operative report should identify the port exchange and the open approach.
Report this code when both removal and replacement of the port are performed; removal alone or revision without replacement maps to a different code. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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 multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires 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.
43888 in Nevada**
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada** | Unavailable | $452.15 |
How the 43888 rate is calculated
Each of 43888’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 · 43888
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 6.28Practice expense 5.86Malpractice 1.67
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 43888
43888 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 43888
Gastric port exchange
| 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 · 43888
Gastric port exchange
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
43888 without 51 · national facility
$461.27
Gastric port exchange
43888-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$230.64
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%).
43888 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
43888 vs 43886 vs 43887 vs 43848: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 43886Port revision
- Choose 43886 for open revision of the port component. Choose 43888 when the port is removed and replaced.
- 43887Gastric band port
- 43887 describes open port removal only. This code requires replacement of the port as part of the service.
- 43848Bariatric revision
- 43848 is for revision of the open gastric restrictive procedure itself; 43888 is limited to removal and replacement of its subcutaneous port component.
43888 billing questions
When should this code be selected instead of 43886?
Use 43888 when the subcutaneous port is both removed and replaced. Code 43886 describes revision of the port component rather than its removal and replacement.
How does this differ from 43887?
43887 is for removal of the port component without replacement. This code requires both removal and replacement.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this port-component service.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should show an open approach and document removal and replacement of the subcutaneous port, with the work limited to that component.
How are other same-session procedures handled?
Under the standard multiple-procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction. The 90-day global period includes related postoperative care.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is 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 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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