Laparoscopy, surgical; repair recurrent inguinal hernia

CPT 49651 is the billing code for "Laparoscopy, surgical; repair recurrent inguinal hernia". For laparoscopic repair of recurrent inguinal hernia

Medicare pays approximately $557.65 for CPT 49651 (national average). Actual payment varies by geographic location due to GPCI adjustments. Hospital and commercial insurance rates are typically 2-4x higher than Medicare rates.

CPT 49651 has a total RVU of 28.58, broken down as: Work RVU 12.80, Practice Expense RVU 14.50, and Malpractice RVU 1.28. RVUs (Relative Value Units) determine Medicare reimbursement rates.

Key documentation requirements for CPT 49651 include: Indication for recurrent hernia repair; Previous hernia repair history; Laparoscopic approach used; Mesh placement documented. Missing or incomplete documentation is a leading cause of claim denials for this code.

Bundling considerations for CPT 49651: Includes laparoscopic recurrent hernia repair. Includes mesh placement Use an NCCI bundling checker to verify specific code combinations before billing.

Common modifiers for CPT 49651 include: 50 (Bilateral procedure when both sides performed same session), 51 (Multiple procedures performed same session), 22 (Increased procedural services for difficult cases). Modifiers indicate special circumstances and can affect reimbursement or prevent claim denials.

The typical time requirement for CPT 49651 is 75-105 minutes typical operative time. Time-based codes require documentation of the actual time spent providing the service.