Billing code 49062: Peritoneal drainageMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports operative drainage of the peritoneal cavity through an open approach, rather than needle-based fluid removal or drainage of a defined abscess.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 49062 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 49062 covers
This service involves surgically opening the abdomen to drain fluid from the peritoneal cavity. It is performed by a surgeon in an operating room when treatment requires operative access and drainage, rather than a needle tap. The operative report should identify the approach, the cavity drained, the reason for drainage, and the work performed. Drainage directed at a defined abscess may fall under a more specific abscess-drainage code instead.
Report the service when the documented procedure supports open drainage of the peritoneal cavity. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including 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. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed; 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 49062 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $725.43 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $786.03 |
How the 49062 rate is calculated
Each of 49062’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 · 49062
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 11.91Practice expense 6.87Malpractice 3.18
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 49062
49062 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 49062
Peritoneal drainage
| 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 · 49062
Peritoneal drainage
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
49062 without 51 · national facility
$733.48
Peritoneal drainage
49062-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$366.74
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%).
49062 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
49062 vs 49020 vs 49082 vs 49083 vs 49084: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 49020Abscess drainage
- 49020 is for open drainage of a peritoneal abscess. Use 49062 when the documented service is open drainage of the peritoneal cavity rather than drainage of a defined abscess.
- 49082Paracentesis
- 49082 describes abdominal paracentesis without imaging guidance, not open operative drainage.
- 49083Paracentesis
- 49083 describes abdominal paracentesis with imaging guidance; 49062 represents open surgical drainage.
- 49084Peritoneal lavage
- 49084 is peritoneal lavage. It is not the code for open drainage of the peritoneal cavity.
49062 billing questions
How is this different from paracentesis?
This code describes open operative drainage of the peritoneal cavity. Use 49082 or 49083 for abdominal paracentesis, depending on whether imaging guidance is used.
When would an abscess-drainage code be more appropriate?
When the operative target is a defined peritoneal abscess, consider the code specific to drainage of that abscess, such as 49020 or 49040, according to the documented approach and procedure.
Does the 90-day global include related postoperative care?
Yes. The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be paid?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect another procedure performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction when performed in the same session.
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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