CPT code 32661: Pericardial excision, thoracoscopic cyst or mass2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports thoracoscopic surgical removal of a pericardial cyst or mass, rather than drainage alone or a biopsy of another thoracic structure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 32661 in Florida.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 32661 covers
Code 32661 describes an operation in which the surgeon uses a thoracoscope to inspect the pericardium and excise a cyst or mass. It is typically performed by a thoracic or cardiothoracic surgeon in an operating room, often using a video-assisted thoracoscopic approach. The operative report should establish that the lesion arises from the pericardium and was excised; a procedure limited to draining the pericardial sac or sampling pleura is a different service.
Report the code for the thoracoscopic excision, and document the lesion’s location, the approach, and the work performed. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
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 32661 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | Unavailable | $862.51 |
| Miami, FL | Unavailable | $947.42 |
| Rest of Florida | Unavailable | $816.28 |
How the 32661 rate is calculated
Each of 32661’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 · 32661
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work13.00
13.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.84
6.84 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.26
3.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
23.1000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$771.56
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32661
32661 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 32661
Pericardial excision, thoracoscopic cyst or mass
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.84/0.07 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 32661
Pericardial excision, thoracoscopic cyst or mass
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
32661 without 51 · national facility
$771.56
Pericardial excision, thoracoscopic cyst or mass
32661-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$385.78
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%).
32661 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 32659Pericardial drainageThoracoscopic approach
- 32661 is for excising a pericardial cyst or mass; 32659 is for thoracoscopic drainage of the pericardial sac.
- 32662Mediastinal excisionThoracoscopic cyst, tumor, or mass
- Choose based on the lesion’s origin: 32661 covers a pericardial lesion, while 32662 covers a mediastinal cyst, tumor, or mass.
- 32609Pleural biopsyThoracoscopic approach
- 32661 removes a pericardial cyst or mass. Code 32609 is for thoracoscopic biopsy of pleura, not excision of a pericardial lesion.
32661 billing questions
How is this different from 32659?
32661 is for thoracoscopic excision of a pericardial cyst or mass. Code 32659 describes thoracoscopic drainage of the pericardial sac.
When would 32662 be considered instead?
Use 32662 when the excised cyst, tumor, or mass is mediastinal rather than pericardial. The operative report should identify the structure of origin.
Does this code include drainage of the pericardial sac?
The service represented by 32661 is excision of a pericardial cyst or mass. Drainage alone is represented by 32659.
Can modifier 50 be appended for bilateral work?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
What global period and multiple-procedure rules apply?
The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction.
What should the operative report document?
Document that the lesion is pericardial, the thoracoscopic approach, and the excision performed. If co-surgeon payment is claimed, supporting documentation is required.
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
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