Billing code
Z551A — Liver biopsy – needle
Needle liver biopsy
Bill for a needle biopsy of the liver.
Watch for: An incisional liver biopsy is Z554, not Z551.
| Provider | Specialist | Assistant | Anaesthetist | Non-anaesthetist |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $95.80 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $111.72 | $111.72 |
- Code
- Z551A
- Description
- Liver biopsy – needle
- FHO+ basket
- Not in the FHO+ base rate basket (Schedule 2 or 2B).
- Effective date
- Apr 1, 2026
- Termination date
- No end date
Explanation
Updated October 26, 2026
Needle biopsy of the liver.
What it covers
Z551 is a needle biopsy of the liver (S29). Incisional liver biopsy is Z554 (S29).
Billing rules
- Z codes are independent operative procedures: if your major pre-operative visit was in the prior 12 months, only a partial assessment is payable before the procedure that day; if the major pre-operative visit is that day, no other assessment is payable before it (SP4).
- Marked #: premises, equipment, supplies and staff are funded by the hospital budget or ICHSC facility costs, and patients can't be charged for them (GP13).
- Under-16 age premiums (10–30%) apply to surgical procedures in Parts K to Z (GP64).
- Anaesthesia basic units are listed, so an anaesthetist bills with suffix C (S29, GP10).
Related codes: Z554, S269, S273
Source: Schedule of Benefits (July 1, 2026), Digestive System Surgical Procedures, Liver, page S29.
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