CPT code 32554: Thoracentesis, without imaging guidance2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in South Dakota

In South Dakota, Medicare pays $255.87 for 32554 in the office and $74.50 when it’s performed in a hospital or facility.

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 32554 nationwide

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 32554 covers

Code 32554 covers needle aspiration of pleural fluid without imaging guidance, either to obtain a diagnostic sample or relieve a symptomatic effusion. A pulmonologist, hospitalist, or other qualified physician may perform the procedure at bedside, in an office, or in a facility. The defining distinction is a one-time needle aspiration rather than placement of a catheter for ongoing drainage; aspiration performed with imaging guidance is reported with 32555.

Document the indication, side, that aspiration was performed without imaging guidance, and whether fluid was collected or drained. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. For bilateral performance, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is barred; co-surgeons and team surgery 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.

How South Dakota compares for 32554

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the office rate for 32554 runs from $229.72 in Arkansas to $349.70 in San Benito County, CA. South Dakota pays $255.87. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

Every other payment area

32554 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

See 32554 in every payment locality

How the 32554 rate is calculated

Each of 32554’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 32554

The CMS indicators that decide how 32554 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

Codes related to 32554

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

How 32554 has changed in South Dakota

Price 32554 for an earlier date of service

Where the South Dakota rate applies

South Dakota is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 485 cities and communities in South Dakota. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

• Aberdeen
• Agar
• Agency Village
• Akaska
• Albee
• Alcester
• Alexandria
• Allen

Browse all communities in South Dakota

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates