CPT code 32408: Core biopsy, lung or mediastinum2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports a percutaneous core-needle biopsy of a lung or mediastinal target, with imaging guidance included when performed.
Medicare pays $750.71–$832.40 for 32408 in the office in Illinois, from Rest of Illinois to Suburban Chicago, IL. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 32408 covers
A physician, commonly a radiologist or interventional radiologist, passes a core needle through the chest wall to obtain tissue from a lung lesion or mediastinal target. The procedure is commonly performed in a hospital or outpatient imaging setting, often with CT or other imaging used to guide needle placement. Imaging guidance is included in the biopsy service when performed; this code distinguishes a percutaneous core-tissue sample from a bronchoscopic biopsy or a biopsy of the pleura.
Select the code when the documented approach is percutaneous and the specimen is obtained with a core needle from lung or mediastinum. The record should identify the target, approach, and tissue sampling performed; note imaging guidance when used. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted, and co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting are not permitted.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 32408 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
4 payment localities
$750.71 to $832.40
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $823.17 | $146.11 |
| East St. Louis, IL | $760.66 | $140.86 |
| Rest of Illinois | $750.71 | $135.63 |
| Suburban Chicago, IL | $832.40 | $140.51 |
How the 32408 rate is calculated
Each of 32408’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 32408
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.10
3.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense20.64
20.64 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.34
0.34 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
24.0800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$804.29
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32408
The CMS indicators that decide how 32408 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 32408
Core biopsy, lung or mediastinum
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
32408 without 51 · national office
$804.29
Core biopsy, lung or mediastinum
32408-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$402.15
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
32408 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 32400Pleural biopsyPercutaneous needle
- Choose 32408 for a percutaneous core biopsy of lung or mediastinum; 32400 is for a needle biopsy of pleura.
- 31628Lung biopsySingle lobe
- 31628 is used for transbronchial lung biopsy through a bronchoscope. This code requires a percutaneous approach through the chest wall.
- 31629Bronchoscopic biopsyNeedle aspiration biopsy
- 31629 describes needle sampling performed bronchoscopically. Use this code when the core sample is obtained percutaneously from lung or mediastinum.
32408 billing questions
Does this code include imaging guidance?
Yes. Imaging guidance is included when performed to guide the percutaneous core biopsy, so do not separately report guidance for that biopsy service.
How does this differ from a pleural biopsy?
Use this code for a percutaneous core sample of lung or mediastinum. Code 32400 describes a needle biopsy of the chest lining, or pleura.
Can this be reported with a bronchoscopic biopsy code?
The approach distinguishes the services: this code is for a percutaneous chest-wall route, while codes such as 31628 or 31629 describe bronchoscopic sampling. If multiple procedures are performed in one session, the standard multiple-procedure reduction applies.
What should the procedure note document?
Document the lung or mediastinal target, the percutaneous route, and that a core tissue sample was obtained. Record imaging guidance when it was used.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be used?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment is statutorily restricted; co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting are not permitted.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 32408 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist