CPT code 33031: Pericardiectomy, with cardiopulmonary bypass2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Maryland
Reports surgical removal of part or most of the pericardium with cardiopulmonary bypass, commonly for constrictive disease requiring operative treatment.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33031 in Maryland.
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 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 in Maryland
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore area, MD | Unavailable | $2,456.49 |
| Rest of Maryland | Unavailable | $2,302.33 |
| Washington, DC area | Unavailable | $2,517.80 |
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
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
| 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 · 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.
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%).
33031 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
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.
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
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