CPT code 33999: Unlisted cardiac surgery, unlisted procedure2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports a cardiac surgical service when no listed CPT code accurately describes the operation performed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33999 in Texas.
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
On this page 9 sections
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 Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | Unavailable |
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.
How the rate is built · 33999
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.0000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$0.00
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33999
The CMS indicators that decide how 33999 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33999
Unlisted cardiac surgery, unlisted procedure
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | YYY | The Medicare contractor sets the global period. |
| 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| 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
33999 without 51 · national facility
$0.00
Unlisted cardiac surgery, unlisted procedure
33999-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$0.00
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%).
33999 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
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.
33999 billing questions
When should a surgeon report 33999 instead of a listed cardiac surgery code?
Use 33999 only when no listed CPT code accurately describes the cardiac operation. If a specific procedure code fits the work performed, report that code instead.
What documentation supports a 33999 claim?
The operative report should describe the approach, operative work, and extent of the service, and explain why a listed code does not fit. A comparable listed procedure can help the contractor evaluate the claim.
How does Medicare price 33999?
It has physician fee schedule status C, or carrier priced. CMS publishes no national payment; the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim.
Who determines the global period for 33999?
The Medicare contractor sets the global period for this unlisted cardiac surgery code.
How is 33999 treated when other procedures occur in the same session?
The standard multiple procedure reduction pays the highest-valued procedure in full and other procedures at 50% when performed in the same session.
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
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 33999 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist