CPT code 33955: Central cannulation, birth through age five2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports central ECMO/ECLS cannula placement through a chest incision in a patient from birth through age five when central access is selected.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33955 in Georgia.
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 33955 covers
This service covers placement of central cannulae for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or extracorporeal life support through a sternotomy or thoracotomy in a patient from birth through age five. A cardiothoracic or cardiac surgeon typically performs it in an operating room, including when central access is established during or after cardiac surgery. Central cannulation places access directly in the chest rather than through peripheral vessels.
Select this code based on the patient’s age and the central surgical access documented in the operative report; peripheral cannulation is coded separately. The record should support the need for ECMO/ECLS, the chest approach, and cannula placement. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the 0-day global period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires medical-necessity documentation; co-surgeon and team-surgery claims require supporting documentation.
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 33955 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta, GA | Unavailable | $786.33 |
| Rest of Georgia | Unavailable | $769.77 |
How the 33955 rate is calculated
Each of 33955’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 · 33955
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work15.60
15.60 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.35
3.35 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.74
3.74 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
22.6900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$757.87
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33955
The CMS indicators that decide how 33955 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33955
Central cannulation, birth through age five
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
33955 without 51 · national facility
$757.87
Central cannulation, birth through age five
33955-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$378.94
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%).
33955 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33956ECMO cannula insertionCentral, younger than five
- Both report central cannula insertion through a chest incision; choose 33955 for patients from birth through age five and 33956 for patients age six and older.
- 33951ECMO cannulationPercutaneous, age 5 or older
- Code 33951 is for peripheral open cannula insertion in patients from birth through age five. This code describes central placement through a sternotomy or thoracotomy.
- 33947ECMO initiationVenoarterial configuration
- Code 33947 reports venoarterial ECMO/ECLS initiation, not the central cannula placement itself. Report the services according to what was performed and documented.
33955 billing questions
How does this differ from peripheral cannula insertion?
Use this code for central cannula placement through a sternotomy or thoracotomy. Peripheral access uses the applicable peripheral insertion code.
How does this differ from code 33956?
Code 33956 is the central cannula insertion counterpart for patients age six and older. This code is for patients from birth through age five.
Is ECMO initiation part of this service?
This code reports cannula placement. ECMO/ECLS initiation is a separate service; code 33947 describes venoarterial initiation when that service is performed and documented.
Should modifier 50 be used?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this central-cannula service; document the central approach and cannula placement.
What documentation supports the age-specific code?
The operative report should identify the patient’s age, the sternotomy or thoracotomy approach, and the central cannula placement for ECMO/ECLS.
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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