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CPT code 32666: Lung wedge resection, therapeutic, initial resection2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports an initial video-assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection that removes a limited portion of lung to treat a nodule, mass, or other lesion.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities9.5K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $839.03 for 32666 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 32666

Lung wedge resection, therapeutic, initial resection

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
14.14
Total RVUs
25.12
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$839.03

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 32666 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 32666 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 32666 covers

A thoracic or general surgeon uses a thoracoscopic approach to remove a limited, nonanatomic portion of lung containing a lesion. The procedure is typically performed in an operating room for a nodule or mass being treated by excision, rather than removed solely to establish a diagnosis. The specimen is submitted for examination, with the operative record identifying the target and the lung tissue removed.

Report 32666 for the initial therapeutic wedge resection. Documentation should establish the therapeutic purpose, thoracoscopic approach, lesion location, and extent of resection; additional wedge resections in the same lobe may be reported with add-on code 32667 when supported. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 32666 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

32666 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$756.45
AlaskaUnavailable$1,037.89
ArizonaUnavailable$814.23
ArkansasUnavailable$746.42
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$868.31
Austin, TXUnavailable$840.79
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$825.30
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$892.86
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$808.28
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$814.42

32666 rates by state

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

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
32666 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 32666 rate is calculated

Each of 32666’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 · 32666

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work14.14

14.14 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense7.42

7.42 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice3.56

3.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

25.1200

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$839.03

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 32666

32666 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 32666

Lung wedge resection, therapeutic, initial resection

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.76/0.14Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 32666

Lung wedge resection, therapeutic, initial resection

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

32666 without 50 · national facility

$839.03

Lung wedge resection, therapeutic, initial resection

32666-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,258.55

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

32666 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 32666

    Lung wedge resection, therapeutic, initial resection14.14 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 32667

    Lung wedge resection, each additional resection2.93 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 32668

    Thoracoscopic wedge, each additional diagnostic resection2.93 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 32608

    Thoracoscopic biopsy, pulmonary nodule or mass6.67 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 32663

    Thoracoscopic lobectomy, single pulmonary lobe24.02 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

32667Lung wedge resectionEach additional resection
32666 reports the initial therapeutic wedge resection. 32667 is the add-on for each additional therapeutic wedge resection in the same lobe.
32668Thoracoscopic wedgeEach additional diagnostic resection
Use 32668 when the lung wedge is diagnostic. Use 32666 when the wedge is performed therapeutically to remove a lesion.
32608Thoracoscopic biopsyPulmonary nodule or mass
32608 is for thoracoscopic biopsy of a lung nodule; 32666 describes therapeutic removal of a wedge of lung containing a lesion.
32663Thoracoscopic lobectomySingle pulmonary lobe
32663 describes removal of a lung lobe. 32666 removes a limited wedge rather than an entire lobe.

Codes related to 32666

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

Codes related to 32666
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Add-on codes
32667Lung wedge resection, each additional resectionAdd-on for each additional therapeutic wedge resection in the same lobe.No office rate
Used instead
32668Thoracoscopic wedge, each additional diagnostic resectionUsed for diagnostic lung wedge resection rather than therapeutic excision.No office rate
32608Thoracoscopic biopsy, pulmonary nodule or massThoracoscopic biopsy of a lung nodule when a therapeutic wedge is not performed.No office rate
32663Thoracoscopic lobectomy, single pulmonary lobeThoracoscopic lobectomy removes a lobe rather than a limited wedge of lung.No office rate
32669Lung resection, anatomic segmentectomyThoracoscopic segmentectomy removes an anatomic lung segment rather than a wedge.No office rate

32666 billing questions

How is a therapeutic wedge resection distinguished from a diagnostic wedge?

Use 32666 when the wedge is performed to treat the lesion by removing it. A wedge performed to obtain tissue for diagnosis is reported with 32668.

Can additional wedge resections be reported with 32666?

Code 32667 is the add-on for each additional therapeutic wedge resection in the same lobe. The operative report should identify the additional resection and its location.

When is 32608 used instead?

32608 describes thoracoscopic biopsy of a lung nodule. Choose 32666 when the surgeon removes a wedge of lung therapeutically rather than performing a nodule biopsy.

What global and multiple-procedure payment rules apply?

32666 has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure payment, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%.

How are bilateral procedures and assisting surgeons handled?

A bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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
RVUs for 32666PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,762 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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