CPT code 32560: Chemical pleurodesis, via chest tube or catheter2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $276.23 for 32560 nationally in the office and $68.47 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $241.70–$374.72.

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

What 32560 covers

A clinician instills an agent through an existing chest tube or pleural catheter to promote adhesion of the pleural layers and reduce recurrent fluid or air accumulation. Common situations include recurrent pneumothorax and recurrent pleural effusion, including effusion associated with malignancy. Thoracic surgeons and pulmonologists commonly perform the service in a hospital or other facility setting.

Select this code for the pleurodesis instillation, not simply for placing the drain. Documentation should identify the indication, agent, route through the chest tube or catheter, and treated side. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid, and 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.

Where 32560 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

32560 rates by state

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

How the 32560 rate is calculated

Each of 32560’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 32560

The CMS indicators that decide how 32560 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

32560 compared with similar codes

How to choose

32650PleurodesisThoracoscopic approach

32560 describes agent instillation through a chest tube or catheter; 32650 describes pleurodesis performed thoracoscopically.

32561Pleural fibrinolysisInitial day

32561 is for intrapleural fibrinolytic treatment, not instillation of an agent to create pleural adhesion.

32562Pleural fibrinolysisSubsequent day

32562 reports a subsequent-day fibrinolytic treatment; it is not a subsequent-day code for pleurodesis.

32551Chest tubeOpen thoracostomy

32551 reports chest tube insertion. Use 32560 for the pleurodesis agent instilled through a tube or catheter.

Codes related to 32560

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

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