47490 describes percutaneous cholecystostomy. 47480 is the operative gallbladder incision used for exploration, drainage, or calculus removal.
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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
47480 Gallbladder incision Medicare reimbursement rates in Wyoming
Report this open gallbladder incision when the surgeon explores the gallbladder, drains it, or removes a calculus without removing the organ. Compare 47480 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Wyoming.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 47480 in Wyoming?
Wyoming has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$810.08
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Wyoming**
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
General surgery
About 47480: Open gallbladder incision with exploration or drainage
Report this open gallbladder incision when the surgeon explores the gallbladder, drains it, or removes a calculus without removing the organ.
A surgeon makes an operative incision into the gallbladder to explore its interior, drain its contents, or remove a calculus. This is a gallbladder-preserving procedure, not removal of the gallbladder. General surgeons typically perform it in an operating room when the chosen treatment calls for direct access to the gallbladder rather than cholecystectomy or percutaneous drainage.
Report the service when the operative record supports the incision and the exploration, drainage, or calculus removal performed. Distinguish it from a bile-duct incision by documenting that the gallbladder itself was entered. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 47480
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU12.92 · 52%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.98 · 36%
- Malpractice RVU3.18 · 13%
116
Medicare services in 2024 · #4765 by national volume
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.
47480 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Wyoming, from the same CMS release.
47420 involves incision of the bile duct, not the gallbladder. Identify the structure entered in the operative report.
47562 is laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder. 47480 involves incision and work within the gallbladder without removing the organ.
47600 is open removal of the gallbladder; 47480 is an incision procedure that preserves the gallbladder.
Compare 47480 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Wyoming** →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$810.08
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 47480 in Wyoming**.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
5,681
- Code
- 47480
- Physician work
- 12.92
- Practice expense
- 8.98
- Malpractice
- 3.18
GPCI2026.csv
112
- Locality
- Wyoming**
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 1.000
- Malpractice
- 0.740
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 12.92 | × 1.000 | 12.9200 |
| Practice expense | 8.98 | × 1.000 | 8.9800 |
| Malpractice | 3.18 | × 0.740 | 2.3532 |
| Total RVUs | 24.2532 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Wyoming**$810.08
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 12.92 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 8.98 | 1 |
| Malpractice | 3.18 | 0.74 |
(12.92 × 1 + 8.98 × 1 + 3.18 × 0.74) × $33.4009 = $810.08
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
47480 billing questions
How is 47480 different from percutaneous cholecystostomy?
47480 describes an operative incision into the gallbladder for exploration, drainage, or calculus removal. Use 47490 for percutaneous cholecystostomy.
Does 47480 include removal of the gallbladder?
No. It describes incision and work within the gallbladder, not cholecystectomy. A laparoscopic or open gallbladder removal is reported with the applicable cholecystectomy code.
How can I distinguish this from a bile-duct incision?
The operative note should identify which structure was opened. 47480 is for the gallbladder; 47420 concerns incision of the bile duct.
What documentation supports 47480?
Document the gallbladder incision, the operative approach, and whether the surgeon explored, drained, or removed a calculus from the gallbladder.
Can modifier 50 be used, and what are the assistant rules?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
