Billing code 44701: Colonic lavageMedicare rate & RVUs in Nevada
Intraoperative colonic lavage clears stool from the colon during selected colorectal operations and is reported as an add-on to the primary procedure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 44701 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 44701 covers
During colorectal surgery, the surgeon introduces irrigation solution into the colon and evacuates its contents. The service may be used when a stool-loaded colon needs clearing during an operation, including selected cases of obstruction before reconstruction. It is performed in the operating room as part of surgical care, rather than as stool testing or donor-material preparation.
Report 44701 only when colonic lavage is actually performed and an eligible primary procedure is also reported; it is not a standalone service. The operative note should describe the lavage, including irrigation and evacuation, and why colonic clearance was needed. CMS treats this as an add-on paid within the primary procedure’s global period, so it is associated with that procedure’s global period rather than billed independently.
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.
44701 in Nevada**
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada** | Unavailable | $147.81 |
How the 44701 rate is calculated
Each of 44701’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 · 44701
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 3.02Practice expense 0.73Malpractice 0.81
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 44701
The CMS indicators that decide how 44701 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 44701
Colonic lavage
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 80 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
44701 without 80 · national facility
$152.31
Colonic lavage
44701-80 · Assistant: 16%
$24.37
A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.
44701 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
44701 vs 44140 vs 44145: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 44140Partial colectomy
- 44140 reports the partial colectomy with anastomosis; 44701 is an additional code for colonic lavage performed during the operation.
- 44145Partial colectomy
- 44145 reports a partial colectomy with coloproctostomy. Report 44701 as an add-on only when colonic lavage is also performed.
44701 billing questions
Can 44701 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on and must be reported with an eligible primary procedure.
What documentation supports reporting 44701?
Document that colonic lavage was performed, the irrigation and evacuation steps, and the clinical reason for clearing the colon.
Is routine irrigation during surgery enough to report this code?
The record should support a distinct colonic lavage service, not merely mention routine operative irrigation.
How does 44701 relate to the primary procedure’s global period?
CMS pays this add-on within the primary procedure’s global period, and it must be billed together with that primary procedure.
Is 44701 the code for preparing fecal microbiota material?
No. It describes lavage performed in the colon during surgery; fecal microbiota preparation is a separate service.
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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