Billing code 43045: EsophagotomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
Open thoracic esophagotomy removes a foreign body from the esophagus when surgical access through the chest is required.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 43045 in Ohio.
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 43045 covers
This code describes an open operation in which the surgeon reaches the esophagus through the chest, opens it, and removes a foreign body. It is used for cases requiring thoracic surgical access, such as an object lodged in the thoracic esophagus that cannot be managed by an endoscopic approach. A thoracic or general surgeon typically performs the procedure in an operating room, generally in a facility setting.
Select this code when the operative report supports both the thoracic approach and removal of a foreign body; it is distinct from a cervical approach or endoscopic extraction. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery. 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; 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.
43045 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $1,228.07 |
How the 43045 rate is calculated
Each of 43045’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 · 43045
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 21.33Practice expense 10.98Malpractice 5.37
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 43045
43045 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 43045
Esophagotomy
| 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 · 43045
Esophagotomy
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
43045 without 51 · national facility
$1,258.55
Esophagotomy
43045-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$629.28
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%).
43045 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
43045 vs 43020 vs 43215 vs 43247: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 43020Esophageal incision
- Both codes describe esophagotomy for foreign-body removal. Choose 43045 for thoracic access and 43020 for cervical access.
- 43215Object removal
- 43215 reports endoscopic esophageal foreign-body removal. Use 43045 when the surgeon opens the esophagus through a thoracic approach.
- 43247EGD removal
- 43247 reports foreign-body removal during upper gastrointestinal endoscopy. It is distinct from open thoracic esophagotomy under 43045.
43045 billing questions
When should 43045 be chosen over 43020?
Use 43045 when the surgeon removes the foreign body through a thoracic approach. Code 43020 describes the corresponding cervical approach.
Can endoscopic foreign-body removal be reported as 43045?
No. This code is for open removal through a thoracic esophagotomy. Endoscopic removal is represented by the applicable endoscopy code.
What operative documentation supports 43045?
The report should establish the thoracic surgical approach, an incision into the esophagus, and removal of a foreign body. It should distinguish the procedure from cervical or endoscopic access.
Does 43045 have a 90-day global period?
Yes. The day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days are included in the global period.
Can modifier 50 be used for 43045?
No. Bilateral adjustment is inappropriate for this code.
How are assistant and co-surgeon claims handled?
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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