CPT code 47380: Liver ablation2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports open surgical radiofrequency ablation of one or more liver tumors, when the surgeon treats the tumor through an operative exposure rather than laparoscopically or percutaneously.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 47380 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 47380 covers
The surgeon exposes the liver through an open operative approach and uses a radiofrequency probe to destroy one or more tumors. This may be performed for primary liver cancer or metastatic tumors when ablation is selected instead of, or alongside, tumor resection. The service is typically provided by a surgeon in a hospital operating room; the open approach distinguishes it from laparoscopic and image-guided percutaneous ablation.
Report the code based on the open approach and radiofrequency method, not as a separate unit for each tumor treated. The operative report should support the approach, use of radiofrequency energy, and the treated tumor or tumors. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this 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 47380 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $1,326.49 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $1,427.72 |
How the 47380 rate is calculated
Each of 47380’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 · 47380
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work23.95
23.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.44
10.44 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice5.86
5.86 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
40.2500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,344.39
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 47380
47380 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 47380
Liver ablation
| 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 · 47380
Liver ablation
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
47380 without 51 · national facility
$1,344.39
Liver ablation
47380-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$672.20
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%).
47380 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 47370Liver tumor ablation
- Both use radiofrequency energy for liver tumor ablation, but 47370 is for a laparoscopic approach; 47380 requires an open exposure.
- 47381Liver tumor ablation
- Both involve open liver tumor ablation. Select 47381 when cryosurgery is used; select 47380 for radiofrequency energy.
- 47382Liver ablation
- Both use radiofrequency energy, but 47382 is for percutaneous treatment. This code represents ablation through an open surgical approach.
- 47383Liver ablation
- 47383 describes percutaneous cryoablation. This code is for open radiofrequency ablation.
47380 billing questions
How is this different from laparoscopic liver ablation?
This code is for radiofrequency ablation performed through an open surgical exposure. Use the laparoscopic code when the surgeon performs the ablation laparoscopically.
Is a separate unit reported for each tumor?
The code covers treatment of one or more liver tumors. Do not report additional units solely because multiple tumors are ablated; document the tumors treated and the procedure performed.
How does the method affect code selection?
This code describes open radiofrequency ablation. Open cryoablation, laparoscopic ablation, and percutaneous ablation have different codes.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. Bilateral adjustment does not apply to this service, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What payment rules apply when other procedures are performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are paid at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
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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