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CPT code 33959: Cannula repositioning, peripheral, percutaneous, under age one2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports percutaneous repositioning of a peripheral ECMO/ECLS cannula in a patient younger than one year when its position requires adjustment during support.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $216.10 for 33959 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 33959

Cannula repositioning, peripheral, percutaneous, under age one

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
4.36
Total RVUs
6.47
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$216.10

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 33959 →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 33959 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 33959 covers

This service covers percutaneous adjustment of a peripheral cannula while a patient younger than one year is receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or extracorporeal life support. It is performed by a clinician managing the ECMO/ECLS circuit when a cannula needs repositioning, rather than initial placement or removal. The patient’s age and the peripheral, percutaneous approach distinguish this code from other repositioning services in the family.

Report the service when the record supports an actual cannula repositioning and identifies the patient’s age, cannula site, and percutaneous approach. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. 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 multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity; 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 33959 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

33959 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$196.35
AlaskaUnavailable$275.30
ArizonaUnavailable$209.92
ArkansasUnavailable$193.99
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$224.22
Austin, TXUnavailable$214.39
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$208.39
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$229.39
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$210.43
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$209.16

33959 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
33959 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 33959 rate is calculated

Each of 33959’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 · 33959

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work4.36

4.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense1.05

1.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.06

1.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

6.4700

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$216.10

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 33959

The CMS indicators that decide how 33959 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 33959

Cannula repositioning, peripheral, percutaneous, under age one

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

33959 without 51 · national facility

$216.10

Cannula repositioning, peripheral, percutaneous, under age one

33959-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$108.05

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

33959 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 33959

    Cannula repositioning, peripheral, percutaneous, under age one4.36 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33958

    Cannula repositioning, open, younger than six years3.42 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33962

    ECMO cannula, peripheral repositioning4.36 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33951

    ECMO cannulation, percutaneous, age 5 or older7.95 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

33958Cannula repositioningOpen, younger than six years
Both describe percutaneous repositioning of a peripheral ECMO/ECLS cannula; the age group determines which code applies.
33962ECMO cannulaPeripheral repositioning
This code represents peripheral cannula repositioning by an open approach, while 33959 is percutaneous.
33951ECMO cannulationPercutaneous, age 5 or older
33951 reports peripheral cannula insertion. Use 33959 only when an existing cannula is repositioned during ECMO/ECLS support.

Codes related to 33959

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

Codes related to 33959
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
33957ECMO cannula repositioning, percutaneous, venovenousPercutaneous peripheral cannula repositioning for an older age group.No office rate
33958Cannula repositioning, open, younger than six yearsPercutaneous peripheral cannula repositioning for the next age group.No office rate
33962ECMO cannula, peripheral repositioningPeripheral cannula repositioning using an open approach.No office rate
33963ECMO cannula repositioning, peripheral cannulaOpen peripheral cannula repositioning for a different age group.No office rate
33964Cannula repositioning, open approach, ages 5–17Open peripheral cannula repositioning for a different age group.No office rate
Used instead
33951ECMO cannulation, percutaneous, age 5 or olderPeripheral ECMO/ECLS cannula insertion, rather than repositioning an existing cannula.No office rate
33965ECMO cannula removal, percutaneous, age five and olderPeripheral ECMO/ECLS cannula removal, rather than repositioning.No office rate

33959 billing questions

When is 33959 selected over another repositioning code?

Use it for percutaneous repositioning of a peripheral cannula in a patient younger than one year. The other codes in the family distinguish age groups and approach.

Does 33959 cover initial cannula placement or removal?

No. It reports repositioning during ECMO/ECLS support; initial insertion and cannula removal are separate services.

What documentation supports reporting 33959?

Document the repositioning performed, the peripheral cannula and percutaneous approach, and the patient’s age.

Can modifier 50 be appended for repositioning two cannulas?

No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only with documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

How does payment work when other procedures are performed in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.

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 33959PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,145 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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