Billing code 47533: Biliary drainageMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Percutaneous placement of an external biliary drainage catheter to divert bile when normal drainage through the biliary tract is impaired.
Medicare pays $1,053.98 for 47533 in the office in Utah (Utah). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 47533 covers
An interventional radiologist typically places this catheter through the skin and liver into the biliary system, using imaging to guide access and catheter positioning. The external catheter directs bile out of the body into a collection bag, commonly to relieve obstruction from a stricture, stone, or tumor when external drainage is needed. Diagnostic cholangiography and imaging guidance are included when performed, along with the associated radiological supervision and interpretation.
Report 47533 for initial placement of an external drain; use 47534 when the catheter provides internal-external drainage. The record should support the access, catheter placement, drainage approach, and clinical need. The 0-day global includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and 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.
47533 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | $1,053.98 | $222.91 |
How the 47533 rate is calculated
Each of 47533’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 · 47533
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 5.25Practice expense 27.44Malpractice 0.57
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 47533
The CMS indicators that decide how 47533 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 47533
Biliary drainage
| 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 | 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) | 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
47533 without 51 · national office
$1,110.91
Biliary drainage
47533-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$555.46
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%).
47533 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
47533 vs 47534 vs 47535 vs 47536 vs 47538: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 47534Biliary drainage
- Choose 47533 when the catheter drains bile externally. Choose 47534 when it provides internal-external drainage.
- 47535Biliary catheter conversion
- 47533 reports initial external catheter placement; 47535 reports conversion of an existing external catheter to internal-external drainage.
- 47536Biliary catheter exchange
- 47536 is for exchanging an existing drainage catheter, not placing the initial external drain.
- 47538Biliary stent
- 47538 reports percutaneous biliary stent placement for internal drainage, rather than placement of an external drainage catheter.
47533 billing questions
How does 47533 differ from 47534?
47533 describes an external drainage catheter that directs bile outside the body. Use 47534 for a catheter that drains both externally and internally.
Can diagnostic cholangiography be billed separately with 47533?
Diagnostic cholangiography performed as part of the catheter placement is included in 47533. The code also includes imaging guidance and associated radiological supervision and interpretation.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for bilateral biliary drainage?
No. The descriptor and anatomy make bilateral adjustment inappropriate for 47533.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 47533. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How is 47533 affected when other procedures are performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.
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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