CPT code 47720: Biliary bypass2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Ohio
A surgeon creates a drainage connection from the gallbladder to bowel to bypass biliary obstruction when the gallbladder can provide a viable drainage route.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 47720 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 47720 covers
The surgeon connects the gallbladder to an intestinal segment to provide another route for bile drainage. This operation may be considered when an obstruction prevents bile from reaching the intestine through the usual duct pathway and the gallbladder can serve as the source of drainage. It is performed in an operating room by a surgeon, commonly as bypass surgery for biliary obstruction. The operative report should identify the gallbladder and bowel as the structures joined and describe the reason for the bypass.
Report this code when the documented operation creates that gallbladder-to-bowel connection; a connection from a bile duct or liver duct to bowel is a different service. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the major-surgery global period. 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this anatomy. 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.
47720 in Ohio
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Ohio | Unavailable | $1,067.97 |
How the 47720 rate is calculated
Each of 47720’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 · 47720
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work17.88
17.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.16
10.16 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice4.78
4.78 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
32.8200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,096.22
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 47720
47720 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 47720
Biliary bypass
| 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 · 47720
Biliary bypass
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
47720 without 51 · national facility
$1,096.22
Biliary bypass
47720-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$548.11
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%).
47720 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 47740Biliary bypass
- Both involve a gallbladder-to-bowel bypass. Use the code that matches the specific operative service and any additional work documented.
- 47760Biliary bypass
- This code is for a connection from the gallbladder to bowel; 47760 is used when the common bile duct is joined to bowel.
- 47765Biliary bypass
- This code uses the gallbladder as the drainage source. 47765 describes a bypass originating from a liver duct.
47720 billing questions
How do I distinguish this from a bile-duct-to-bowel bypass?
Check which structures the surgeon joined. This code describes a connection from the gallbladder to bowel; a connection from the common bile duct or a liver duct to bowel is a different procedure.
What operative documentation supports this code?
The report should identify the gallbladder and intestinal segment joined, describe the anastomosis, and explain the biliary drainage problem the bypass addresses.
Should modifier 50 be appended?
No. The anatomy and service are not bilateral for Medicare payment purposes, so modifier 50 is inappropriate.
How are related postoperative visits handled?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the major-surgery global period.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. 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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