Billing code 44970: AppendectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Nevada
Reports surgical removal of the appendix using a laparoscopic approach, commonly for acute appendicitis when the surgeon completes the operation through minimally invasive access.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 44970 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 44970 covers
A surgeon removes the appendix through small abdominal incisions using a camera and laparoscopic instruments. The operation is commonly performed in a hospital operating room for acute appendicitis, including cases where inflammation or infection affects the appendix. The surgeon identifies and frees the appendix, divides it from its attachments, and removes it from the abdomen. General or acute care surgeons typically perform the procedure.
Select this code when the operative report supports a laparoscopic appendectomy; document the indication, approach, and work performed. It has a 90-day global period, including 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 the single appendix. Assistant-at-surgery and co-surgeon services may be paid; 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.
44970 in Nevada**
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Nevada** | Unavailable | $565.09 |
How the 44970 rate is calculated
Each of 44970’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 · 44970
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 9.21Practice expense 5.72Malpractice 2.38
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 44970
44970 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 44970
Appendectomy
| 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) | 2 | Permitted. |
| 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 · 44970
Appendectomy
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
44970 without 51 · national facility
$578.17
Appendectomy
44970-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$289.09
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%).
44970 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
44970 vs 44950 vs 44960 vs 44955: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 44950Appendectomy
- 44950 is for an open appendectomy; 44970 is for a laparoscopic appendectomy. Base code selection on the approach documented in the operative report.
- 44960Appendectomy
- 44960 describes an open appendectomy for a ruptured appendix with abscess or peritonitis. It is not the laparoscopic approach code.
- 44955Appendectomy
- 44955 is an add-on for appendectomy performed for an indicated purpose during another major procedure. It is not the code for a standalone laparoscopic appendectomy.
44970 billing questions
How does this differ from 44950?
44970 describes appendectomy performed laparoscopically. 44950 is the open appendectomy code, so the operative report's approach determines which code fits.
When would 44960 be considered instead?
44960 describes an open appendectomy for a ruptured appendix with abscess or peritonitis. Use 44970 when the appendectomy is performed laparoscopically, rather than selecting the open code based only on disease severity.
Should modifier 50 be appended?
No. The appendix is a single organ, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How are other same-session procedures paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures performed in the same session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
CMS permits payment for assistant-at-surgery and co-surgeon services for this code. 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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