CPT code 32900: Rib removal, one or more ribs2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Pennsylvania
Reports operative removal of one or more ribs during thoracic or chest-wall surgery, with payment subject to the major-surgery global period and multiple-procedure reduction.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 32900 in Pennsylvania.
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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On this page 9 sections
What 32900 covers
This service covers operative removal of one or more ribs. A thoracic surgeon or another surgeon performing chest-wall or intrathoracic surgery may remove rib tissue to address a chest-wall or pleural operative problem or to provide access for the planned procedure. The operative report should identify the ribs removed and explain the surgical purpose; the code is not supported by a mention of rib removal without documentation of the work performed.
Report the service when rib removal is the documented procedure, and distinguish it from a procedure directed at revising or repairing the chest wall. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires 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 32900 pays more and less in Pennsylvania
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Philadelphia, PA | Unavailable | $1,356.79 |
| Rest of Pennsylvania | Unavailable | $1,254.85 |
How the 32900 rate is calculated
Each of 32900’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 · 32900
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work23.21
23.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.62
9.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice5.85
5.85 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
38.6800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,291.95
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32900
32900 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 32900
Rib removal, one or more ribs
| 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) | 0.10/0.76/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 32900
Rib removal, one or more ribs
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
32900 without 51 · national facility
$1,291.95
Rib removal, one or more ribs
32900-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$645.98
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%).
32900 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 21600Rib excisionPartial rib removal
- 21600 describes a partial-rib excision service. Use 32900 for the documented rib-removal service when that separate code better represents the operation.
- 32905Chest wall repairProsthetic material
- 32905 is a chest-wall revision or repair service. 32900 represents removal of one or more ribs, not repair or revision of the chest wall.
- 32906Chest wall repairRevision with prosthetic material
- 32906 also concerns chest-wall revision or repair. Choose 32900 when the documented operative service is rib removal rather than chest-wall repair.
32900 billing questions
How does 32900 differ from a partial-rib excision code?
Use 32900 for the documented rib-removal service. Compare the operative work with the separate partial-rib excision code, 21600, and select the code whose service matches the procedure performed.
Can modifier 50 be used when ribs on both sides are removed?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, even when the operative documentation describes work on both sides.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
How is 32900 affected when other procedures are performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in that session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
What should the operative report document?
Identify the rib or ribs removed and describe the operative work and purpose. Documentation should make clear that rib removal was performed, rather than only mentioning a rib in the context of another procedure.
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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