CPT code 33969: ECMO cannula removal, peripheral, percutaneous2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $250.51 for 33969 nationally in a facility.

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

What 33969 covers

This service covers percutaneous removal of a peripheral cannula used for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or extracorporeal life support. It is performed during decannulation when the patient no longer needs extracorporeal support; the cannula may have been placed through a peripheral vessel such as the femoral artery or vein. A cardiovascular surgeon or another physician managing the patient’s ECMO care may perform the removal in a hospital setting.

Choose this code for the percutaneous removal procedure, not for cannula repositioning or daily ECMO management. Documentation should identify the peripheral cannula removed, its site, the percutaneous approach, and the decannulation work performed. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When 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. Do not append modifier 50. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented 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 33969 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

33969 rates by state

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

How the 33969 rate is calculated

Each of 33969’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 33969

The CMS indicators that decide how 33969 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

33969 compared with similar codes

How to choose

33965ECMO cannula removalPercutaneous, age five and older

Use 33969 for percutaneous peripheral cannula removal; 33965 describes removal by an open approach.

33966ECMO cannula removalPeripheral, open approach

This is a related open-removal code. Select between it and 33969 based on the removal approach documented.

33957ECMO cannula repositioningPercutaneous, venovenous

Use a repositioning code when the peripheral cannula is moved but remains in place; 33969 represents removal.

Codes related to 33969

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates