CPT code 33285: Rhythm monitor, subcutaneous insertion2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Report 33285 for placing and programming a subcutaneous cardiac rhythm monitor to detect intermittent arrhythmias not captured by shorter-term monitoring.
Medicare pays $4,386.61–$5,758.05 for 33285 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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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On this page 9 sections
What 33285 covers
A cardiologist or electrophysiologist places a small rhythm-monitoring device beneath the skin, commonly in the chest, to record cardiac activity over an extended period. It is often used when a patient has unexplained syncope, intermittent palpitations, or suspected arrhythmia that has not been documented with shorter-term monitoring. The device is subcutaneous rather than a transvenous pacemaker or defibrillator system, and the service includes programming the monitor at insertion.
Report 33285 for the implantation service, supported by documentation of the indication, insertion, and device programming. Routine same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in its 0-day global period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard multiple-procedure reduction to the others. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery, and 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 33285 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 payment localities
$4386.61 to $5758.05
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $4,387.59 | $73.41 |
| Chico, CA | $4,386.61 | $72.43 |
| El Centro, CA | $4,386.67 | $72.49 |
| Fresno, CA | $4,386.61 | $72.43 |
| Hanford, CA | $4,386.61 | $72.43 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $4,733.03 | $76.39 |
| Madera, CA | $4,386.61 | $72.43 |
| Marin County, CA | $5,629.97 | $79.79 |
| Merced, CA | $4,386.61 | $72.43 |
| Modesto, CA | $4,386.61 | $72.43 |
| Napa, CA | $5,265.54 | $77.50 |
| Oxnard, CA | $4,727.94 | $75.23 |
| Redding, CA | $4,386.61 | $72.43 |
| Rest of California | $4,386.61 | $72.43 |
| Riverside, CA | $4,390.48 | $76.30 |
| Sacramento, CA | $4,652.23 | $74.32 |
| Salinas, CA | $4,636.18 | $74.01 |
| San Benito County, CA | $5,758.05 | $81.92 |
| San Diego, CA | $4,782.37 | $74.56 |
| San Francisco, CA | $5,629.56 | $79.39 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $4,556.48 | $73.04 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $5,756.38 | $80.24 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $4,856.90 | $74.30 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $4,663.68 | $73.96 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $4,908.70 | $74.93 |
| Stockton, CA | $4,386.61 | $72.43 |
| Vallejo, CA | $5,264.95 | $76.91 |
| Visalia, CA | $4,386.61 | $72.43 |
| Yuba City, CA | $4,386.61 | $72.43 |
How the 33285 rate is calculated
Each of 33285’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 · 33285
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.49
1.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense118.27
118.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.36
0.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
120.1200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$4,012.12
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33285
The CMS indicators that decide how 33285 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33285
Rhythm monitor, subcutaneous insertion
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
33285 without 51 · national office
$4,012.12
Rhythm monitor, subcutaneous insertion
33285-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$2,006.06
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%).
33285 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33286Monitor removalImplantable rhythm monitor
- Use 33285 for monitor insertion and programming; use 33286 when the implanted monitor is removed.
- 33270Defibrillator implantSubcutaneous system
- 33270 involves a subcutaneous implantable defibrillator, a therapeutic device; 33285 places a monitor that records rhythm for diagnostic evaluation.
- 93291Loop recorder checkIn-person interrogation
- 93291 reports in-person interrogation of an implanted cardiovascular monitor. It is a device assessment service, not implantation.
33285 billing questions
How is 33285 different from 33286?
33285 reports insertion and programming of a subcutaneous cardiac rhythm monitor. Code 33286 reports removal of an implanted monitor.
Is device programming included?
Yes. Programming at insertion is part of 33285; it is not a separate insertion service.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery for 33285. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What same-day care is included in the global period?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
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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