CPT code 33050: Pericardial lesion resection, cyst or tumor2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Reports operative removal of a focal pericardial cyst or tumor, rather than drainage of pericardial fluid or broader removal of the pericardium.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33050 in Guam.
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 33050 covers
This service covers surgical removal of a focal cyst or tumor involving the pericardium, the sac surrounding the heart. It is typically performed by a cardiothoracic surgeon in an operating room when a lesion requires excision. The operative approach depends on the lesion and the patient; the defining service is removal of the pericardial lesion, not simply opening the sac or creating a drainage window.
Report the code when the operative documentation supports excision of a pericardial cyst or tumor. The report should identify the lesion and describe its location and removal. A broad pericardiectomy for diseased pericardium is a different service. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral adjustment 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.
33050 in Hawaii, Guam, HI
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam, HI | Unavailable | $948.64 |
How the 33050 rate is calculated
Each of 33050’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 · 33050
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work16.55
16.55 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.30
8.30 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice4.17
4.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
29.0200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$969.29
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33050
33050 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33050
Pericardial lesion resection, cyst or tumor
| 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 · 33050
Pericardial lesion resection, cyst or tumor
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
33050 without 51 · national facility
$969.29
Pericardial lesion resection, cyst or tumor
33050-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$484.65
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%).
33050 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33030PericardiectomyPartial or subtotal removal
- 33050 removes a focal pericardial cyst or tumor. 33030 describes partial or complete pericardiectomy without cardiopulmonary bypass.
- 33031PericardiectomyWith cardiopulmonary bypass
- Choose 33050 for focal lesion excision. 33031 describes pericardiectomy performed with cardiopulmonary bypass.
- 33025Pericardial windowOpen surgical drainage
- 33025 creates a pericardial window or partial resection for drainage; 33050 removes a pericardial cyst or tumor.
33050 billing questions
How is this different from pericardiectomy?
Use 33050 for removal of a focal pericardial cyst or tumor. Pericardiectomy codes describe broader removal of pericardium, such as for extensive pericardial disease.
Is opening the pericardium separately reportable?
The operative access needed to remove the lesion is part of the surgical service. Do not separately report an incision code solely for access to the lesion.
Does this code have a global period?
Yes. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral lesions?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 should not be used.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%.
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.
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 33050 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist