Billing code 47371: Liver ablationMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports laparoscopic cryosurgical ablation of hepatic tumor tissue when a surgeon treats a liver lesion through minimally invasive access.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 47371 in Texas.
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 47371 covers
A surgeon accesses the liver laparoscopically and applies a cryosurgical probe to freeze and destroy tumor tissue. Hepatobiliary surgeons and surgical oncologists typically perform this operation in an operating room when laparoscopic access and cryoablation are selected for treating hepatic tumor tissue. The service is distinct from liver wound repair and from ablation performed through an open or percutaneous approach.
The operative report should identify the laparoscopic approach, cryosurgical technique, and treated tumor site or sites. CMS assigns a 90-day major-surgery global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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.
Where 47371 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Unavailable | $1,181.90 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $1,140.38 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $1,145.07 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $1,161.49 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $1,160.60 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $1,154.41 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $1,253.61 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $1,148.31 |
How the 47371 rate is calculated
Each of 47371’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 · 47371
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 20.28Practice expense 9.70Malpractice 5.42
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 47371
47371 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 47371
Liver ablation
| 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 · 47371
Liver ablation
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
47371 without 51 · national facility
$1,182.39
Liver ablation
47371-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$591.20
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%).
47371 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
47371 vs 47370 vs 47381 vs 47383 vs 47382: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 47370Liver tumor ablation
- Both involve laparoscopic liver tumor ablation. Choose 47371 for cryosurgical freezing and 47370 for radiofrequency ablation.
- 47381Liver tumor ablation
- Both use cryosurgery for liver tumor tissue, but 47381 is the open approach; 47371 is laparoscopic.
- 47383Liver ablation
- Both use cryoablation, but 47383 is performed percutaneously. Report 47371 for laparoscopic access.
- 47382Liver ablation
- 47382 describes percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of a liver tumor. It differs from 47371 in both approach and ablation method.
47371 billing questions
How does 47371 differ from 47370?
Both describe laparoscopic liver tumor ablation, but 47371 involves cryosurgical freezing while 47370 uses radiofrequency energy. Match the code to the documented ablation method.
When would 47383 be reported instead?
47383 describes percutaneous liver cryoablation. Use 47371 when the surgeon performs the cryosurgical treatment laparoscopically.
Should modifier 50 be appended for tumors in both lobes?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; the descriptor or anatomy does not support modifier 50.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
What should the operative note establish?
Document the laparoscopic approach, use of cryosurgical ablation, and the liver tumor site or sites treated. These details distinguish this service from radiofrequency ablation and from open or percutaneous cryoablation.
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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