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CPT code 33516: Coronary bypass, six or more vein grafts2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports coronary artery bypass surgery using six or more venous grafts, without an arterial graft counted as part of this venous-only code.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $2,539.80 for 33516 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 33516

Coronary bypass, six or more vein grafts

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
48.52
Total RVUs
76.04
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$2,539.80

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 33516 →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 33516 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 33516 covers

A cardiac surgeon uses this code for coronary artery bypass surgery in which six or more venous grafts are placed to route blood around obstructed coronary arteries. A common setting is an operating room during surgery for multivessel coronary artery disease. The surgeon’s operative report should identify the conduits used and the number of venous bypass grafts performed; the count is not the number of veins harvested.

Select this code for six or more venous grafts when the bypass uses venous grafts only. When arterial and venous grafts are both used, report the appropriate arterial CABG primary code with the corresponding venous-graft add-on code instead. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 33516 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

33516 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$2,304.56
AlaskaUnavailable$3,209.68
ArizonaUnavailable$2,467.30
ArkansasUnavailable$2,276.23
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$2,631.42
Austin, TXUnavailable$2,529.37
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$2,469.17
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$2,696.71
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$2,464.48
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$2,462.32

33516 rates by state

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

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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
33516 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 33516 rate is calculated

Each of 33516’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 · 33516

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work48.52

48.52 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense15.86

15.86 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice11.66

11.66 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

76.0400

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$2,539.80

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 33516

33516 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 33516

Coronary bypass, six or more vein grafts

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)0Not permitted.
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 · 33516

Coronary bypass, six or more vein grafts

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

33516 without 51 · national facility

$2,539.80

Coronary bypass, six or more vein grafts

33516-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,269.90

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

33516 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 33516

    Coronary bypass, six or more vein grafts48.52 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33514

    Coronary bypass, five venous grafts46.88 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33523

    CABG grafting, six or more venous grafts15.68 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33533

    Arterial CABG, single arterial graft32.91 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33508

    Vein harvest, endoscopic technique0.3 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

33514Coronary bypassFive venous grafts
Use 33514 for five venous grafts; use 33516 when the venous graft count is six or more.
33523CABG graftingSix or more venous grafts
33523 is the venous-graft add-on for six or more grafts when arterial bypass grafting is also performed; 33516 represents venous-only grafting.
33533Arterial CABGSingle arterial graft
33533 reports arterial-only CABG with a single arterial graft. It does not represent six or more venous grafts.
33508Vein harvestEndoscopic technique
33508 identifies endoscopic vein harvesting, not the coronary bypass grafting operation reported with 33516.

Codes related to 33516

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

Codes related to 33516
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
33514Coronary bypass, five venous graftsVenous-only CABG sibling for five grafts rather than six or more.No office rate
33513Coronary bypass, four venous graftsVenous-only CABG sibling for four grafts.No office rate
33512Coronary bypass, three venous graftsVenous-only CABG sibling for three grafts.No office rate
Often billed with
33508Vein harvest, endoscopic techniqueEndoscopic vein harvesting may accompany CABG when performed and separately reportable.No office rate
Used instead
33523CABG grafting, six or more venous graftsVenous-graft add-on for six or more grafts when arterial CABG is also performed.No office rate

33516 billing questions

How many grafts qualify for this code?

Report it when the operation places six or more venous bypass grafts. Use the operative report to support the graft count.

Should this code be used when arterial and venous grafts are both performed?

No. For a combined arterial-and-venous bypass, report the appropriate arterial CABG primary code with the venous-graft add-on code matching the venous graft count.

Can vein harvesting be reported with the bypass?

Endoscopic vein harvesting may be reported with CABG when that service is performed and separately reportable. The bypass code itself represents the grafting operation, not the harvest technique.

Can modifier 50 be used?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.

How does the multiple-procedure payment rule affect this code?

When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and other procedures at 50%.

What does the global period include, and may an assistant be reported?

The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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
RVUs for 33516PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,988 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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