CPT 44970: Laparoscopic Appendectomy
Medicare pays $584 and commercial payers pay $3578 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 44970 describes a laparoscopic appendectomy, a surgical procedure to remove the appendix using minimally invasive (laparoscopic) techniques for appendicitis or ruptured appendix; service type: surgical appendectomy; typical site of service: inpatient or outpatient hospital operating room / ambulatory surgery center.
For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Removal of Implantable Devices, Removal of Implantable Devices, Removal of Implantable.
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National means highlight a clear split: Medicare averages $584.30 for CPT 44970 versus BUCA’s commercial mean of $3,578.40, indicating that BUCA reimbursements are roughly six times higher than Medicare’s average. Other national commercial payers sit between those anchors, with UnitedHealth Group and Cigna closer to BUCA than to Medicare on mean rates, and Aetna notably below the larger commercial averages.
Dispersion measured by the interquartile range (P75–P25) varies substantially: Blue Cross Blue Shield exhibits the widest IQR at $4,229.80, reflecting broad regional or negotiated variation, while Aetna is the tightest among those with full quartiles at $718.30. UnitedHealth Group ($677.80) and Cigna ($687.30) show moderate dispersion, and BUCA’s IQR is $2,716.00, signaling sizeable spread within that commercial aggregate.