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    v1.0.30
    OpenPayerBilling CodesIncision Procedures on the LiverCPT cpt-47000-percutaneous-liver-biopsy
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    CPT 47000: Percutaneous Liver Biopsy

    Medicare pays $300 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 47000 describes a percutaneous liver biopsy in which the provider removes a small tissue sample through a small skin incision to diagnose liver disease, assess disease severity, or monitor treatment; service type: diagnostic percutaneous liver biopsy; typical site of service: hospital outpatient department, ambulatory surgical center, or procedure suite.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Surgical Procedures, Outpatient Surgical Procedures - Site of Service, Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) Select — Surgical or Diagnostic Procedures in Adults.

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    Table of contents

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    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 52-year-old patient with persistent jaundice, elevated liver enzymes, and imaging showing heterogeneous hepatic parenchyma presents to the hepatology clinic. After noninvasive testing (laboratory studies, abdominal ultrasound, and transient elastography) is inconclusive for etiology and staging, the hepatologist schedules a percutaneous liver biopsy to obtain tissue for histopathology, iron and copper quantification, and staging of fibrosis. The procedure is performed in an outpatient procedural suite or hospital interventional radiology unit. The patient is screened for coagulopathy, holds anticoagulants per institutional policy, and consents for moderate sedation and local anesthesia. Under ultrasound guidance, the clinician creates a small skin incision and advances a biopsy needle into the liver to obtain core tissue samples. Specimens are placed in formalin and sent to pathology; post-procedure observation is performed to monitor for bleeding or pain. Documentation includes indication, imaging guidance, quantity and size of cores, specimen disposition, sedation/analgesia used, informed consent, and post-procedure instructions.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    76942Ultrasound guidance for needle placement (eg, biopsy, aspiration)Often used immediately before or during the liver biopsy to localize the target and guide needle placement.
    76937Ultrasound guidance for vascular access requiring ultrasound evaluation of vascular access site (when applicable)Used when vascular ultrasound guidance is required for access or to evaluate complications (less common).
    96372Therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic injection (specify drug)Used if local anesthetic or other injected agents are separately billable; documentation must support.
    99213Established patient office visit, moderate complexityTypical pre-procedure evaluation and post-procedure follow-up visits in the outpatient setting.
    99152Moderate sedation service provided by the same physician performing the procedure (initial 15 minutes)Use when the performing clinician provides moderate sedation in addition to the biopsy procedure (document time).

    Related Modifiers

    10 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    22Modifier –22 (Increased Procedural Services) is used when a reported procedure is substantially more extensive than normally required. The CPT Manual and CMS state it may be appended only when the…- When to use: Append modifier -22 to a procedural CPT code when the service performed is substantially more extensive than the usual service described by that code — i.e., the procedure required…
    23Modifier -23 (Unusual Anesthesia) is used on anesthesia service CPT codes when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia…- Use modifier -23 only on anesthesia CPT codes (00100–01999) when a procedure that normally requires no anesthesia or only local anesthesia must be performed under general anesthesia because of…
    26Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
    52Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
    53Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
    59Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
    62Modifier 62 indicates that two surgeons function as co‑surgeons, each performing distinct parts of the same primary surgical procedure. It is appended to the primary procedure code (and any…- Use modifier -62 when two surgeons act as co‑surgeons (both primary surgeons) on a single definitive primary procedure, each performing distinct parts of the same surgical procedure (append -62 to…
    76Modifier -76, Repeat Procedure or Service by Same Physician or Other Qualified Health Care Professional, is appended when the same provider performs an identical, medically necessary procedure or…- Use modifier -76 when the same physician or other qualified health care professional performs an identical procedure or service a second (or subsequent) time on the same date of service and the…
    77Modifier 77 indicates that a previously performed procedure or service was legitimately repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional. The AMA’s CPT definition…- Use modifier 77 when a basic procedure or service already performed is repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional (for example, a second provider independently…
    57CPT® modifier -57 (“Decision for Surgery”) is appended to an Evaluation and Management (E/M) service when that encounter results in the initial decision to perform a major surgery (a procedure with a…- Use modifier 57 when an E/M service provided by the same provider (or same tax ID) on the day of or the day before a major surgical procedure (90‑day global period) results in the initial decision…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    207L00000X
    207K00000X
    111NI0013X
    332BP3500X
    305R00000X
    175M00000X
    163WC0200X
    2083P0011X

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    25 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    B18.1Chronic viral hepatitis B without delta-agent
    B18.2Chronic viral hepatitis C
    B19.20Unspecified viral hepatitis C without hepatic coma
    C22.9Malignant neoplasm of liver, not specified as primary or secondary
    E83.10Disorder of iron metabolism, unspecified
    E83.19Other disorders of iron metabolism
    K70.30Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver without ascites
    K71.7Toxic liver disease with fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver
    K72.90Hepatic failure, unspecified without coma
    K74.60Unspecified cirrhosis of liver

    Showing 1–10 of 25

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: General Surgery1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Surgical ProceduresUnitedHealthcare2026-09-01
    Outpatient Surgical Procedures - Site of ServiceUnitedHealthcare2026-09-01
    Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) Select — Surgical or Diagnostic Procedures in AdultsPremera Bluecross2026-09-01
    Site of Service Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Select — Surgical or Diagnostic Procedures in AdultsPremera Bluecross2026-09-01
    Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) SelectPremera Bluecross2026-09-01
    Site of Service Ambulatory Surgical Center (ASC) Select — Site of Service for Ambulatory Surgical Procedures (ASC Select)Premera Bluecross2026-09-01
    Site of Service Ambulatory Service Center (ASC) SelectPremera Bluecross2026-09-01
    Outpatient Surgical Procedures - Site of Servicesierra health and life2026-08-01
    Medical Necessity Guidelines — Inpatient Surgical CareMass General Brigham Health Plan2026-08-01
    Ambulatory Surgery Center (ASC) - Site of Care PolicyKaiser Permanente2026-08-01

    Related Codes

    CPT-47001-LIVER-BIOPSY-ADD-ON-PROCEDURE

    CPT 47001: Liver Biopsy, Add-on Procedure

    CPT-47010-HEPATOTOMY-LIVER-ABSCESS-CYST-DRAINAGE

    CPT 47010: Hepatotomy for Drainage of Liver Abscess or Cyst

    CPT-47015-LAPAROTOMY-ASPIRATION-INJECTION-LIVER-CYST-ABSCESS

    CPT 47015: Laparotomy with Aspiration/Injection of Liver Cyst or Abscess

    Frequently Asked Questions

    References

    1. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
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