CPT code 33030: Pericardiectomy, partial or subtotal removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports surgical removal of part of the pericardium, commonly to relieve constrictive pericarditis when the operation is not radical.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33030 in California.
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
On this page 9 sections
What 33030 covers
A cardiac or thoracic surgeon removes a portion of the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart. The operation is commonly performed for constrictive pericarditis, when thickened, scarred, or calcified pericardium restricts the heart’s filling. It takes place in an operating room and may involve an open chest approach. The documented extent of tissue removal distinguishes a partial or subtotal operation from a more extensive resection.
Report this code when the operative note supports partial or subtotal pericardial removal; the diagnosis alone does not establish the extent. Include the indication, operative approach, and tissue removed in the record. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this anatomy. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 33030 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | Unavailable | $1,826.28 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $1,802.72 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $1,804.17 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $1,802.72 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $1,802.72 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $1,904.14 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $1,802.72 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $2,002.05 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $1,802.72 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $1,802.72 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $1,940.61 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $1,876.57 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $1,802.72 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $1,802.72 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $1,896.01 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $1,852.79 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $1,845.27 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $2,055.29 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $1,861.19 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $1,992.17 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $1,820.56 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $2,014.89 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $1,856.78 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $1,844.66 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $1,872.72 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $1,802.72 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $1,926.37 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $1,802.72 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $1,802.72 |
How the 33030 rate is calculated
Each of 33030’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 · 33030
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work35.10
35.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense12.42
12.42 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice8.70
8.70 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
56.2200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,877.80
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33030
33030 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33030
Pericardiectomy, partial or subtotal removal
| 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 · 33030
Pericardiectomy, partial or subtotal removal
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
33030 without 51 · national facility
$1,877.80
Pericardiectomy, partial or subtotal removal
33030-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$938.90
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%).
33030 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33031PericardiectomyWith cardiopulmonary bypass
- 33030 is for partial or subtotal pericardial removal. Choose 33031 when the documented operation is a radical pericardiectomy.
- 33025Pericardial windowOpen surgical drainage
- 33025 creates a pericardial window to permit drainage; 33030 reports partial or subtotal removal of pericardium.
- 33020PericardiotomyClot or foreign body removal
- 33020 describes pericardial incision, with or without drainage. It does not represent the partial or subtotal resection reported with 33030.
- 33016PericardiocentesisImaging included
- 33016 is image-guided needle drainage of the pericardial space. It is distinct from operative removal of pericardial tissue.
33030 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 33031?
Use 33030 for partial or subtotal removal. Code 33031 represents a radical pericardiectomy; the operative documentation should support the extent performed.
When would 33025 be considered instead?
Code 33025 describes creation of a pericardial window for drainage. Code 33030 is for removal of part of the pericardium, rather than a drainage window.
Does the 90-day global period include postoperative visits?
Yes. The global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be appended?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code because of the descriptor or anatomy.
How are assistant and co-surgeon services treated?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with 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
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 33030 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist