Billing code 47015: Liver cyst procedureMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Report laparoscopic aspiration of a hepatic cyst or injection for sclerosis when the surgeon treats the cyst through a laparoscopic approach.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 47015 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 47015 covers
A surgeon uses laparoscopy to aspirate fluid from a hepatic cyst or inject it for sclerosis. This is an operative treatment of a liver cyst, typically performed in a hospital or surgical facility by a general or hepatobiliary surgeon. The laparoscopic approach distinguishes this service from open drainage and from needle biopsy of liver tissue.
Select the code when the operative report documents the laparoscopic approach and cyst aspiration or injection. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. CMS may pay for an assistant at surgery; 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 47015 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $1,091.65 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $1,182.24 |
How the 47015 rate is calculated
Each of 47015’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 · 47015
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 18.04Practice expense 10.20Malpractice 4.82
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 47015
47015 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 47015
Liver cyst procedure
| 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 · 47015
Liver cyst procedure
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
47015 without 51 · national facility
$1,104.23
Liver cyst procedure
47015-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$552.12
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%).
47015 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
47015 vs 47000 vs 47001 vs 47010: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 47000Liver biopsy
- This code describes percutaneous needle biopsy of liver tissue. Code 47015 is for laparoscopic treatment of a hepatic cyst, not tissue sampling.
- 47001Liver biopsy
- Use 47001 for a liver needle biopsy performed with another major procedure. Code 47015 describes cyst aspiration or injection, not biopsy.
- 47010Liver drainage
- Use 47010 for open drainage of a hepatic abscess or cyst. Code 47015 describes laparoscopic aspiration or injection of a hepatic cyst.
47015 billing questions
How does this differ from open drainage of a hepatic cyst?
This code describes laparoscopic cyst aspiration or injection. Open drainage is reported with 47010 when the surgeon treats the cyst through an open approach.
Can a liver needle biopsy be reported during the same operation?
Code 47001 describes a liver needle biopsy performed in conjunction with another major procedure. Report it only when a distinct biopsy is documented, rather than treating cyst aspiration or injection as a biopsy.
Which postoperative care is included?
The 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?
CMS may pay for an assistant at surgery. 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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