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CPT 44970 — Laparoscopy appendectomy

CPT code 44970 (Laparoscopy appendectomy) carries 9.21 work RVUs under the CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Total RVUs are 17.31 in a non-facility setting and 17.31 in a facility setting, which at the 2026 conversion factor of $33.40 works out to $578.17 and $578.17 respectively.

9.21
Work RVU
17.31
Total RVU (non-facility)
$578.17
Medicare, non-facility
$578.17
Medicare, facility
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RVU breakdown for CPT 44970

ComponentRVUsWhat it covers
Work RVU9.21Physician time, skill, effort, and stress.
Practice expense RVU (non-facility)5.72Office overhead, staff, supplies.
Practice expense RVU (facility)0.0Overhead when performed in a hospital.
Malpractice RVU2.38Professional liability cost.
Total RVU (non-facility)17.31Work + non-facility PE + malpractice.
Total RVU (facility)17.31Work + facility PE + malpractice.

How Medicare payment is calculated

Medicare multiplies total RVUs by the annual conversion factor. For CPT 44970 in 2026:

SettingTotal RVUConversion factorNational payment
Non-facility17.31$33.40$578.17
Facility17.31$33.40$578.17

These are national amounts. Actual payment is adjusted by the Geographic Practice Cost Index for your locality — check yours with the GPCI lookup.

Billing rules for CPT 44970

Global period
90-day global — major surgery; 90 days of follow-up care included.
Multiple procedure reduction
Subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction (100%/50%/50%…).
Bilateral surgery
Bilateral adjustment does not apply.
Assistant surgeon
Permitted.
Co-surgeon
Permitted.
Team surgery
Not permitted unless documentation supports medical necessity.

Questions about CPT 44970

How many work RVUs is CPT 44970?

CPT 44970 is assigned 9.21 work RVUs in the CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

What does Medicare pay for CPT 44970?

At the 2026 national conversion factor of $33.40, CPT 44970 pays approximately $578.17 in a non-facility setting and $578.17 in a facility setting before geographic adjustment.

What is the global period for CPT 44970?

90-day global — major surgery; 90 days of follow-up care included.

RVU values reflect the CMS 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (conversion factor $33.40). Payment figures are national and unadjusted for geography. Verify against the official fee schedule before using for billing.