CPT code 49492: Inguinal hernia repair2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Reports initial repair of an incarcerated or strangulated inguinal hernia in a preterm infant meeting the code’s gestational and postconceptional age criteria.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 49492 in Utah.
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 49492 covers
This code describes initial surgical repair of an inguinal hernia that is incarcerated or strangulated in a preterm infant: born before 37 weeks’ gestation and operated on from birth through 50 weeks’ postconceptional age. A pediatric or general surgeon typically performs the repair in an operating room, addressing the hernia and its contents. The code’s age and prematurity criteria distinguish it from infant hernia repairs for other patient groups.
Report it when the operative record supports the qualifying birth gestation, the infant’s postconceptional age on the procedure date, and an incarcerated or strangulated hernia. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For bilateral repair, modifier 50 is paid at 150%; when multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. 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.
49492 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $881.01 |
How the 49492 rate is calculated
Each of 49492’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 · 49492
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work15.04
15.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.22
8.22 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice4.02
4.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
27.2800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$911.18
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 49492
49492 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 49492
Inguinal hernia repair
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| 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 · 49492
Inguinal hernia repair
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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
49492 without 50 · national facility
$911.18
Inguinal hernia repair
49492-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,366.77
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
49492 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 49491Inguinal hernia repair
- Choose 49491 when the hernia is reducible. 49492 identifies an incarcerated or strangulated hernia in a qualifying preterm infant.
- 49495Hernia repair
- 49495 is for a reducible hernia in an infant younger than 6 months. 49492 requires the preterm-infant criteria and an incarcerated or strangulated hernia.
- 49496Inguinal hernia repair
- 49496 covers an incarcerated or strangulated hernia in an infant younger than 6 months; 49492 is distinguished by its preterm birth and postconceptional-age criteria.
49492 billing questions
When should 49492 be chosen instead of 49491?
Use 49492 for an incarcerated or strangulated hernia; 49491 is for a reducible hernia. Both require the specified preterm birth and postconceptional age criteria.
How does 49492 differ from 49496?
49492 is for a qualifying preterm infant operated on through 50 weeks’ postconceptional age. 49496 is the incarcerated or strangulated repair code for an infant younger than 6 months without that specific preterm-infant definition.
What documentation supports reporting 49492?
Document gestational age at birth, age on the operation date in postconceptional weeks, and the operative finding of incarceration or strangulation.
How is a bilateral repair reported?
Report modifier 50 for bilateral repair; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Are assistant or co-surgeon services payable with 49492?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is 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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