Billing code 44373: Small bowel endoscopyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports enteroscopy beyond the second portion of the duodenum when the endoscopist places a nasojejunal feeding tube under direct visualization.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 44373 in Oregon.
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 44373 covers
The endoscopist advances a small-bowel scope beyond the second portion of the duodenum and guides a feeding tube through the upper gastrointestinal tract into the jejunum. This service is generally performed by a gastroenterologist or surgeon in an endoscopy or hospital setting when enteral nutrition needs to be delivered beyond the stomach. The tube placement is the distinguishing therapeutic service; a diagnostic examination alone does not support this code.
Report the service when the procedure record supports both the enteroscopy and endoscopic tube placement, including the tube’s destination. When related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Modifier 50 is inappropriate because bilateral adjustment does not apply. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
Where 44373 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $173.48 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $165.90 |
How the 44373 rate is calculated
Each of 44373’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 · 44373
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.31
3.31 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.36
1.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.43
0.43 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.1000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$170.34
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 44373
The CMS indicators that decide how 44373 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 44373
Small bowel endoscopy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 3 | Endoscopy family rules apply. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
44373 without 51 · national facility
$170.34
Small bowel endoscopy
44373-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$85.17
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%).
44373 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 44360Small-bowel exam
- Use 44360 for diagnostic small-bowel enteroscopy without endoscopic nasojejunal tube placement. Tube placement is the defining service for 44373.
- 44361Small bowel endoscopy
- Use 44361 when the enteroscopy includes biopsy. Use 44373 when the endoscopist places a nasojejunal feeding tube.
- 44372Small bowel endoscopy
- 44372 represents small-bowel endoscopy with dilation; 44373 represents endoscopic placement of a nasojejunal feeding tube.
- 44376Small-bowel enteroscopy
- 44376 is diagnostic enteroscopy that includes the ileum. 44373 describes tube placement during enteroscopy that does not include the ileum.
44373 billing questions
How does this differ from diagnostic enteroscopy?
This code is for enteroscopy with endoscopic placement of a nasojejunal feeding tube. A diagnostic enteroscopy without that placement is represented by a different code.
What documentation supports reporting it?
Document the enteroscopic approach, the endoscopic guidance, and the feeding tube’s jejunal destination. The record should establish that tube placement was performed, not merely planned.
Can the diagnostic enteroscopy be billed separately during the same procedure?
The endoscopic examination used to place the tube is part of this service. When related endoscopies are performed together, CMS endoscopy-family pricing applies.
Should modifier 50 be appended?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable for this code, making modifier 50 inappropriate.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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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