CPT code 33999: Unlisted cardiac surgery, unlisted procedure2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33999 in California.

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

What 33999 covers

This code is for a cardiac operation that lacks a specific CPT code describing the work performed. It may be reported by the cardiac surgeon when the operative service does not fit a listed procedure, including the specific device or approach codes available for some heart procedures. It is not a substitute for a listed code that accurately represents the operation. The operative report should explain the procedure, approach, extent of work, and why no specific code fits; a comparable listed service can help the Medicare contractor assess the claim.

Medicare assigns this code physician fee schedule status C, or carrier priced: CMS publishes no national payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim. The contractor also sets the global period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the standard multiple procedure reduction pays the highest-valued procedure in full and others 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.

Where 33999 pays more and less in California

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

29 of 29 payment localities

How the 33999 rate is calculated

Each of 33999’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 33999

The CMS indicators that decide how 33999 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

33999 compared with similar codes

How to choose

33975Ventricular assist deviceExtracorporeal, biventricular

33975 describes a specific ventricular assist device procedure. Report 33999 only when the cardiac operation performed is not represented by that or another listed code.

33979Ventricular assist deviceImplantable, single ventricle

33979 identifies a specific intracorporeal ventricular assist device procedure; 33999 is for a cardiac operation without a matching listed CPT code.

33990VAD insertionLeft heart, arterial access

33990 is a specific percutaneous left-heart assist-device code. Choose 33999 only if the operation does not fit that code or another listed procedure.

Codes related to 33999

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