Billing code 49465: Tube examinationMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Fluoroscopic contrast evaluation checks the position and function of an indwelling gastric, intestinal, or colostomy tube when a tube problem is suspected.
Medicare pays $123.25 for 49465 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 49465 covers
A physician, commonly a radiologist, evaluates an indwelling gastrostomy, duodenostomy, jejunostomy, gastrojejunostomy, or colostomy tube by injecting contrast through it and observing the flow under fluoroscopy. The study can help assess tube position, patency, or suspected leakage. It is performed in a radiology department or another setting equipped for fluoroscopic imaging when the clinical question calls for a contrast examination of the existing tube.
Report 49465 for the fluoroscopic examination, including the contrast injection or injections, image documentation, and report. The record should identify the tube examined, the reason for the study, the contrast findings, and the interpretation. This is a diagnostic examination, not a tube replacement or repositioning service. It has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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.
49465 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | $123.25 | $25.29 |
How the 49465 rate is calculated
Each of 49465’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 · 49465
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.60Practice expense 3.23Malpractice 0.06
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 49465
The CMS indicators that decide how 49465 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 49465
Tube examination
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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
49465 without 51 · national office
$129.93
Tube examination
49465-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$64.97
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%).
49465 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
49465 vs 49460 vs 49450 vs 49452: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 49460Tube fixation
- 49465 evaluates an existing tube with fluoroscopic contrast. 49460 is for repositioning a gastrostomy or cecostomy tube.
- 49450Feeding tube replacement
- 49465 is a diagnostic contrast examination; 49450 reports percutaneous replacement of a gastrostomy or cecostomy tube.
- 49452G-J tube replacement
- Use 49465 for fluoroscopic examination of an existing gastrojejunostomy tube; use 49452 when that tube is replaced percutaneously.
49465 billing questions
When should 49465 be selected instead of a tube replacement code?
Use 49465 when the service is a fluoroscopic contrast examination of the existing tube. Use a replacement code when the tube is actually exchanged.
Are contrast injection and image documentation separately reported?
They are included in 49465 along with the fluoroscopic examination and report.
Can modifier 50 be used for tubes on both sides?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
What documentation supports reporting 49465?
Document the tube examined, the clinical reason for the study, contrast administration, fluoroscopic findings, and the interpretation.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect 49465?
When it is performed in the same session as other procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. 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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