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CPT code 33031: Pericardiectomy, with cardiopulmonary bypass2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical removal of part or most of the pericardium with cardiopulmonary bypass, commonly for constrictive disease requiring operative treatment.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities219 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $2,311.68 for 33031 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 33031

Pericardiectomy, with cardiopulmonary bypass

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
43.88
Total RVUs
69.21
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$2,311.68

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 33031 →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 33031 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 33031 covers

A cardiothoracic surgeon removes diseased, thickened, or constricting pericardium while the patient is supported with cardiopulmonary bypass. The operation is typically performed in a hospital operating room for conditions such as constrictive pericarditis when a limited drainage opening would not address the disease. The operative report should establish the extent of pericardial removal and use of bypass.

Choose this code when the documented pericardiectomy is performed with cardiopulmonary bypass; the sibling code 33030 describes the operation without bypass. This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including 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. Modifier 50 is inappropriate because the pericardium is not paired right-left anatomy. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; 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 33031 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

33031 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$2,093.63
AlaskaUnavailable$2,912.70
ArizonaUnavailable$2,244.38
ArkansasUnavailable$2,067.37
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$2,396.84
Austin, TXUnavailable$2,301.17
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$2,243.77
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$2,456.49
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$2,242.44
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$2,239.11

33031 rates by state

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

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Explore a state

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
33031 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 33031 rate is calculated

Each of 33031’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 · 33031

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work43.88

43.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense14.45

14.45 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice10.88

10.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

69.2100

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$2,311.68

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 33031

33031 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 33031

Pericardiectomy, with cardiopulmonary bypass

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)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
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)0.09/0.84/0.07Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 33031

Pericardiectomy, with cardiopulmonary bypass

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 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

33031 without 51 · national facility

$2,311.68

Pericardiectomy, with cardiopulmonary bypass

33031-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,155.84

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%).

When to use modifier 51

33031 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 33031

    Pericardiectomy, with cardiopulmonary bypass43.88 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33030

    Pericardiectomy, partial or subtotal removal35.1 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33025

    Pericardial window, open surgical drainage12.87 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33016

    Pericardiocentesis, imaging included4.29 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33050

    Pericardial lesion resection, cyst or tumor16.55 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

33030PericardiectomyPartial or subtotal removal
Use 33031 when cardiopulmonary bypass supports the pericardiectomy; use 33030 when the operation is performed without bypass.
33025Pericardial windowOpen surgical drainage
33025 represents a pericardial window or limited resection for drainage. 33031 represents pericardiectomy with bypass, not drainage alone.
33016PericardiocentesisImaging included
33016 is pericardiocentesis with imaging for fluid drainage; 33031 is surgical removal of pericardium with bypass.
33050Pericardial lesion resectionCyst or tumor
33050 is used for excision of a pericardial cyst or tumor; 33031 is pericardiectomy for removal of diseased or constricting pericardium.

Codes related to 33031

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

Codes related to 33031
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
33030Pericardiectomy, partial or subtotal removalCorresponding subtotal or complete pericardiectomy performed without cardiopulmonary bypass.No office rate
Used instead
33025Pericardial window, open surgical drainagePericardial window or limited resection for drainage rather than broader pericardial removal.No office rate
33016Pericardiocentesis, imaging includedPericardiocentesis with imaging for pericardial fluid drainage.No office rate
33020Pericardiotomy, clot or foreign body removalPericardiotomy to remove a clot or foreign body rather than treat constricting pericardium.No office rate
33017Pericardial drainage, age 6+, no congenital anomalyPercutaneous catheter drainage for a pericardial effusion.No office rate

33031 billing questions

How does 33031 differ from 33030?

Both describe subtotal or complete pericardial removal. Report 33031 when cardiopulmonary bypass is used; 33030 is the corresponding service without bypass.

Is a pericardial window reported with 33031?

A pericardial window or limited resection for drainage is represented by 33025, not by treating part of the pericardiectomy as a separate window. The operative documentation should clarify the procedure performed.

What documentation supports 33031?

The operative report should describe the pericardial removal and document cardiopulmonary bypass use. It should make clear that the service was a pericardiectomy rather than drainage alone.

Can modifier 50 be used?

No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate because pericardiectomy involves the heart sac, not a paired right and left structure.

How are assistant and co-surgeon services handled?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted for this code.

What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, with other procedures subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction to 50%.

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 33031PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,822 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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