CPT code 33218: Lead repair, single lead2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in New York
Repair one existing transvenous pacing or defibrillation lead when operative treatment restores its function without implanting a replacement lead.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33218 in New York.
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 33218 covers
CPT 33218 represents operative repair of one existing transvenous lead used for cardiac pacing or defibrillation. An electrophysiologist or other qualified cardiac surgeon typically performs the procedure in a hospital or other surgical facility when a single lead has a repairable problem, such as damage to its insulation or conductor. The procedure addresses the existing lead; it is distinct from placing a new lead or repositioning a lead that remains intact.
Report one unit for repair of a single lead, supported by the operative report identifying the lead and the repair performed. Distinguish repair from insertion, replacement, and repositioning based on the work documented. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. If 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% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 33218 pays more and less in New York
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Manhattan, NY | Unavailable | $405.08 |
| NYC suburbs and Long Island, NY | Unavailable | $420.22 |
| Poughkeepsie and northern NYC suburbs, NY | Unavailable | $377.11 |
| Queens, NY | Unavailable | $400.98 |
| Rest of New York | Unavailable | $329.45 |
How the 33218 rate is calculated
Each of 33218’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 · 33218
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work5.67
5.67 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.43
3.43 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.33
1.33 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
10.4300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$348.37
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33218
33218 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33218
Lead repair, single lead
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 33218
Lead repair, single lead
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
33218 without 51 · national facility
$348.37
Lead repair, single lead
33218-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$174.19
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%).
33218 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33220Lead repairTwo leads
- 33218 is for repair of one lead; 33220 is for repair of two. Use the number repaired, as documented in the operative report.
- 33215Lead repositioningPacing-defibrillator lead
- 33215 describes repositioning an existing lead. Choose 33218 when the work repairs the lead instead of changing its position.
- 33216ICD lead insertionSingle transvenous lead
- 33216 describes insertion of one pacing-defibrillation electrode. Choose 33218 for repair of a single existing lead, not placement of a new one.
33218 billing questions
When should 33218 be chosen instead of 33215?
Use 33218 when the surgeon repairs one existing lead. Use 33215 when the lead is repositioned rather than repaired.
How does 33218 differ from 33216?
33218 describes repair of an existing single lead. Code 33216 describes insertion of one pacing-defibrillation electrode.
When is 33220 reported instead?
33220 is the related code for repair of two leads. The operative documentation should support the number of leads repaired.
What documentation supports reporting 33218?
The operative report should identify the existing lead, describe the repair performed, and establish that one lead was repaired rather than repositioned or replaced.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be used?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code and bars payment for an assistant at surgery.
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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