CPT code 33979: Ventricular assist device, implantable, single ventricle2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Washington, DC area

In Washington, DC area, Medicare pays $1,912.40 for 33979 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 33979 nationwide

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

What 33979 covers

This code describes surgical implantation of an intracorporeal ventricular assist device to support one ventricle. Cardiothoracic surgeons typically perform the operation in a hospital operating room for patients with advanced heart failure who need mechanical circulatory support, such as as a bridge to transplant or longer-term therapy. The operative record should establish that the device is implantable and intracorporeal and identify the ventricle supported.

Select this code for the implanted, single-ventricle configuration; extracorporeal devices and percutaneous catheter-delivered support use different codes. Documentation should describe the device placement and whether support is for one ventricle or both. When multiple procedures subject to the CMS multiple procedure reduction are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are paid at 50%.

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 Washington, DC area compares for 33979

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 33979 runs from $1,549.97 in Wisconsin to $2,260.05 in Alaska. Washington, DC area pays $1,912.40. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

Every other payment area

33979 rates by state

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

See 33979 in every payment locality

How the 33979 rate is calculated

Each of 33979’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 33979

The CMS indicators that decide how 33979 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

Codes related to 33979

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

How 33979 has changed in Washington, DC area

Price 33979 for an earlier date of service

Where the Washington, DC area rate applies

Washington, DC area is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 1 cities and communities in District of Columbia. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

• Washington

Browse all communities in District of Columbia

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