CPT code 33946: ECMO initiation, venovenous, age six and older2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Virgin Islands, VI

Reports physician work to initiate venovenous ECMO/ECLS in patients age six and older when respiratory support is needed through extracorporeal gas exchange.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026One payment locality597 Medicare services in 2024

In Virgin Islands, VI, Medicare pays $279.40 for 33946 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Not available in this settingOffice (non-facility)
$279.40Hospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 33946 nationwide

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

We’ll open 33946 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in Virgin Islands, VI
  2. What 33946 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. Sources

What 33946 covers

This service covers starting venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or extracorporeal life support in a patient age six or older. Venous blood is routed through an extracorporeal circuit for gas exchange and returned to the venous circulation, supporting patients with severe respiratory failure when conventional respiratory support is inadequate. The physician directing initiation may be a critical care specialist, cardiothoracic surgeon, or another clinician experienced in ECMO, typically in an intensive care setting.

Report 33946 for the initiation phase, not for ongoing daily ECMO management or an arterial-return configuration. The record should establish the patient’s age, the venovenous support configuration, the clinical need for ECMO, and the physician’s work initiating the service. Cannula insertion has separate codes in the ECMO/ECLS code family when that work is performed.

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.

How Virgin Islands, VI compares for 33946

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 33946 runs from $248.68 in Wisconsin to $361.10 in Alaska. Virgin Islands, VI pays $279.40. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

33946 in Virgin Islands, VI vs other payment areas
  1. Virgin Islands, VI · this page$279.40
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$281.14+$1.74
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$302.36+$22.96
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$345.64+$66.24
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$335.64+$56.24
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$323.55+$44.15
  7. Alaska · Alaska$361.10+$81.70

Other areas in United States Virgin Islands first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

33946 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama—$256.04
ArkansasArkansas—$253.22
ArizonaArizona—$272.20
Bakersfield, CACalifornia—$270.86
Chico, CACalifornia—$267.40
El Centro, CACalifornia—$267.61
Fresno, CACalifornia—$267.40
Hanford, CACalifornia—$267.40

33946 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
33946 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

See 33946 in every payment locality

How the 33946 rate is calculated

Each of 33946’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 · 33946

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work5.85

5.85 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense1.26

1.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.26

1.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

8.3700

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$279.57

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

The exact Virgin Islands, VI inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

4,132

Code
33946
Physician work
5.85
Practice expense
1.26
Malpractice
1.26

GPCI2026.csv

107

Locality
Virgin Islands, VI
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
1.011
Malpractice
0.985
Facility calculation for 33946 in Virgin Islands, VI
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work5.85× 1.0005.8500
Practice expense1.26× 1.0111.2739
Malpractice1.26× 0.9851.2411
Total RVUs8.3650
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, Virgin Islands, VI$279.40

Facility: (5.85 × 1 + 1.26 × 1.011 + 1.26 × 0.985) × $33.4009 = $279.40

Open 33946 in the RVU calculator

Payment rules and modifiers for 33946

33946 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.

Place of service · 33946

Which rate does Medicare pay?

The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).

POS 11 · non-facility rate · national

—

33946 isn’t priced in this setting.

How 33946 has changed in Virgin Islands, VI

33946 · Office / nonfacility

Rate unavailable

Effective 2026-10-01

A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release
  1. January 1, 2015

    RVU15A

    No ratechanged toNo rate

    Held through RVU15B, RVU15C, RVU15D, RVU16A, RVU16B, RVU16C, RVU16D, RVU17A, RVU17B, RVU17C, RVU17D, RVU18AR1, RVU18B, RVU18C, RVU18D, RVU19A, RVU19B, RVU19C, RVU19D, RVU20A, RVU20B, RVU20C, RVU20D, RVU21A, RVU21B, RVU21C, RVU21D, RVU22A, RVU22B, RVU22C, RVU22D, RVU23A, RVU23B, RVU23C, RVU23D, RVU24A, RVU24AR, RVU24B, RVU24C, RVU24D, RVU25A, RVU25B, RVU25C, RVU25D, RVU26A, RVU26B, RVU26C, RVU26D.

  2. January 1, 2013

    RVU13AR

    Earliest loaded release: No rate

    Held through RVU13B, RVU13C, RVU13D, RVU14A, RVU14B, RVU14C, RVU14D.

Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01Not available in this setting$279.40RVU26D
2026-07-01Not available in this setting$279.40RVU26C
2026-04-01Not available in this setting$279.40RVU26B
2026-01-01Not available in this setting$279.40RVU26A
2025-10-01Not available in this setting$294.03RVU25D
2025-07-01Not available in this setting$294.03RVU25C
2025-04-01Not available in this setting$294.03RVU25B
2025-01-01Not available in this setting$294.03RVU25A
2024-10-01Not available in this setting$301.56RVU24D
2024-07-01Not available in this setting$301.56RVU24C
2024-04-01Not available in this setting$301.56RVU24B
2024-03-09Not available in this setting$301.56RVU24AR
2024-01-01Not available in this setting$296.64RVU24A
2023-10-01Not available in this setting$306.50RVU23D
2023-07-01Not available in this setting$306.68RVU23C
2023-04-01Not available in this setting$306.68RVU23B
2023-01-01Not available in this setting$306.68RVU23A
2022-10-01Not available in this setting$314.13RVU22D
2022-07-01Not available in this setting$314.13RVU22C
2022-04-01Not available in this setting$314.13RVU22B
2022-01-01Not available in this setting$314.13RVU22A
2021-10-01Not available in this setting$315.00RVU21D
2021-07-01Not available in this setting$315.00RVU21C
2021-04-01Not available in this setting$315.00RVU21B
2021-01-01Not available in this setting$315.00RVU21A
2020-10-01Not available in this setting$322.99RVU20D
2020-07-01Not available in this setting$322.99RVU20C
2020-04-01Not available in this setting$322.99RVU20B
2020-01-01Not available in this setting$322.99RVU20A
2019-10-01Not available in this setting$323.99RVU19D
2019-07-01Not available in this setting$323.99RVU19C
2019-04-01Not available in this setting$323.99RVU19B
2019-01-01Not available in this setting$323.99RVU19A
2018-10-01Not available in this setting$322.57RVU18D
2018-07-01Not available in this setting$322.57RVU18C
2018-04-01Not available in this setting$322.57RVU18B
2018-01-01Not available in this setting$322.57RVU18AR1
2017-10-01Not available in this setting$322.01RVU17D
2017-07-01Not available in this setting$322.01RVU17C
2017-04-01Not available in this setting$322.01RVU17B
2017-01-01Not available in this setting$322.01RVU17A
2016-10-01Not available in this setting$316.29RVU16D
2016-07-01Not available in this setting$316.29RVU16C
2016-04-01Not available in this setting$316.29RVU16B
2016-01-01Not available in this setting$316.29RVU16A
2015-10-01Not available in this setting$320.21RVU15D
2015-07-01Not available in this setting$320.21RVU15C
2015-04-01Not available in this setting$318.61RVU15B
2015-01-01Not available in this setting$318.61RVU15A
2014-10-01Not in this releaseNot in this releaseRVU14D
2014-07-01Not in this releaseNot in this releaseRVU14C
2014-04-01Not in this releaseNot in this releaseRVU14B
2014-01-01Not in this releaseNot in this releaseRVU14A
2013-10-01Not in this releaseNot in this releaseRVU13D
2013-07-01Not in this releaseNot in this releaseRVU13C
2013-04-01Not in this releaseNot in this releaseRVU13B
2013-01-01Not in this releaseNot in this releaseRVU13AR

Price 33946 for an earlier date of service

Where the Virgin Islands, VI rate applies

Virgin Islands, VI is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 10 cities and communities in United States Virgin Islands. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Charlotte Amalie
  • Charlotte Amalie East
  • Charlotte Amalie West
  • Christiansted
  • Coral Bay
  • Cruz Bay
  • Frederiksted
  • Frederiksted Southeast

Browse all communities in United States Virgin Islands

33946 billing questions

When is 33946 chosen instead of 33947?

Use 33946 for venovenous support, with blood returned to the venous circulation. Code 33947 describes initiation of a venoarterial configuration.

Can 33946 be used for daily ECMO management?

No. It represents initiation; 33948 describes daily management of venovenous ECMO/ECLS.

Does 33946 include cannula insertion?

Cannula insertion is represented by separate codes in the ECMO/ECLS family when that work is performed. Document the insertion separately from the physician’s initiation work.

What age range does 33946 cover?

This initiation code applies to patients age six and older. Check the applicable age-specific code when the patient is younger.

What documentation supports reporting 33946?

Document the respiratory indication, venovenous circuit configuration, initiation work, and patient age. The record should distinguish initiation from subsequent daily management.

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 33946PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,132 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for Virgin Islands, VIGPCI2026.csv, line 107 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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