Billing code 43848: Bariatric revisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports open revision of prior gastric restrictive surgery, including revision of the gastrojejunal anastomosis when part of the bariatric reconstruction.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 43848 in Washington.
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 43848 covers
A bariatric surgeon uses an open approach to revise a prior gastric restrictive operation, such as a gastric bypass. The work may involve changing the existing gastric anatomy or revising its gastrojejunal connection as part of the bariatric revision. These operations are typically performed in a hospital operating room for patients whose existing bariatric anatomy requires surgical revision.
Report this code for revision of the prior restrictive procedure, not for creating a new bypass or revising only an access port. The operative report should identify the prior procedure, the anatomy revised, and the work performed. Medicare includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care in the major-surgery global period. 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. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Report one service for the single operative anatomy rather than a bilateral service.
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 43848 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $1,763.13 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $1,896.03 |
How the 43848 rate is calculated
Each of 43848’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 · 43848
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 31.93Practice expense 13.40Malpractice 8.32
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 43848
43848 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 43848
Bariatric revision
| 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 · 43848
Bariatric revision
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
43848 without 51 · national facility
$1,791.96
Bariatric revision
43848-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$895.98
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%).
43848 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
43848 vs 43846 vs 43847 vs 43886 vs 43860: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 43846Gastric bypass
- 43846 is a primary open gastric bypass operation with short Roux-en-Y reconstruction. Choose 43848 for revision of an existing restrictive procedure.
- 43847Bariatric surgery
- 43847 describes a primary restrictive procedure with small-intestine reconstruction. It is not the code for revising an existing bariatric operation.
- 43886Port revision
- 43886 is for open revision of the subcutaneous port component. Use 43848 when the surgeon revises the gastric restrictive anatomy.
- 43860Anastomosis revision
- 43860 describes gastrojejunal anastomosis revision without vagotomy. 43848 applies when that work is part of revising the prior gastric restrictive procedure.
43848 billing questions
How is this different from 43846?
43846 describes creating a gastric bypass with a short Roux-en-Y reconstruction. Use 43848 when the surgeon revises an existing gastric restrictive procedure.
Can the gastrojejunal anastomosis revision be reported separately?
Revision of the gastrojejunal anastomosis is included when it is part of the gastric restrictive procedure revision reported with 43848. The operative note should make clear whether the anastomotic work is part of that revision.
When should 43886 be considered instead?
Consider 43886 when the operation is limited to revising the subcutaneous port component. Code 43848 describes revision of the gastric restrictive anatomy.
What documentation supports reporting 43848?
Document the prior bariatric procedure, the anatomy revised, the open approach, and the specific reconstructive work performed.
How does the global period affect postoperative services?
Medicare's 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
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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