Both codes concern a retroperitoneal abscess; choose 49060 for open drainage and 49062 for percutaneous drainage.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
49060 Abscess drainage Medicare reimbursement rates in Ohio
Open operative drainage of an abscess in the retroperitoneal space, selected when the infected collection is behind the peritoneum. Compare 49060 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Ohio.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 49060 in Ohio?
Ohio has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1002.77
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Ohio
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Surgical procedure
About 49060: Open retroperitoneal abscess drainage
Open operative drainage of an abscess in the retroperitoneal space, selected when the infected collection is behind the peritoneum.
A surgeon opens the retroperitoneal space to reach and evacuate an abscess, which may involve areas such as the psoas region or tissue near the kidney. The operation may include irrigation and placement of a drain. General surgeons and other surgeons managing the affected organ or space typically perform it in an operating room when open access is needed to treat the collection.
Report this code when the operative findings and approach support drainage of a retroperitoneal abscess through an open incision. The record should identify the collection’s location and describe the open access and drainage performed. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code’s anatomy. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 49060
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU18.07 · 59%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.41 · 27%
- Malpractice RVU4.24 · 14%
428
Medicare services in 2024 · #3675 by national volume
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.
49060 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Ohio, from the same CMS release.
This code is for an abscess in the retroperitoneal space. Code 49020 addresses open drainage of a peritoneal abscess or localized peritonitis.
Code 49010 describes exploration of the retroperitoneal area, with or without biopsy. Code 49060 is selected when the service is open drainage of a retroperitoneal abscess.
Compare 49060 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Ohio →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1002.77
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 49060 in Ohio.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
5,768
- Code
- 49060
- Physician work
- 18.07
- Practice expense
- 8.41
- Malpractice
- 4.24
GPCI2026.csv
85
- Locality
- Ohio
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.913
- Malpractice
- 1.008
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 18.07 | × 1.000 | 18.0700 |
| Practice expense | 8.41 | × 0.913 | 7.6783 |
| Malpractice | 4.24 | × 1.008 | 4.2739 |
| Total RVUs | 30.0223 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Ohio$1002.77
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 18.07 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 8.41 | 0.913 |
| Malpractice | 4.24 | 1.008 |
(18.07 × 1 + 8.41 × 0.913 + 4.24 × 1.008) × $33.4009 = $1002.77
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
49060 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 49062?
Both address a retroperitoneal abscess, but 49060 is for open drainage. Code 49062 describes percutaneous drainage.
When is 49020 more appropriate?
Use 49020 for open drainage of a peritoneal abscess or localized peritonitis, rather than a collection in the retroperitoneal space.
Can modifier 50 be appended for bilateral drainage?
No. The CMS facts specify that bilateral adjustment does not apply because the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
Can an assistant at surgery be paid for this procedure?
Medicare payment for an assistant at surgery is restricted for this code. Co-surgeon payment is considered only with supporting documentation.
What should the operative report document?
Document the abscess location in the retroperitoneal space, the open approach, and the drainage performed. These details distinguish the service from peritoneal abscess drainage and percutaneous treatment.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
