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Billing code 32098: Pleural biopsyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports open surgical sampling of pleural tissue through thoracic exposure when direct tissue diagnosis is needed for a pleural abnormality.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities153 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $721.46 for 32098 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 32098

Pleural biopsy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
12.59
Total RVUs
21.60
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$721.46

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 32098 → · 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.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 32098 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 32098 covers

A thoracic surgeon obtains pleural tissue through an open chest approach for diagnostic evaluation, such as when a pleural abnormality requires direct sampling. The target is the pleura, not lung parenchyma; this code is distinct from open biopsies directed at a lung infiltrate or nodule. The service is typically performed in a hospital operating room under general anesthesia.

Report the code when the operative record supports open access and pleural tissue sampling. Document the sampled site, approach, and reason for biopsy, and distinguish pleural sampling from any separate lung procedure. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.

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 32098 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

32098 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$652.26
Alaska*Unavailable$898.75
ArizonaUnavailable$700.58
ArkansasUnavailable$643.87
AtlantaUnavailable$746.44
AustinUnavailable$722.18
BakersfieldUnavailable$708.57
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$766.92
BeaumontUnavailable$696.32
BrazoriaUnavailable$700.55

32098 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
32098 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 32098 rate is calculated

Each of 32098’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 · 32098

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 12.59Practice expense 5.95Malpractice 3.06

21.6000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$721.46

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 32098

32098 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 32098

Pleural biopsy

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.10/0.76/0.14Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 32098

Pleural biopsy

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

32098 without 51 · national facility

$721.46

Pleural biopsy

32098-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$360.73

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

32098 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

32098 vs 32096 vs 32097 vs 32609 vs 32400: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 32098
    Pleural biopsy · 12.59 wRVU
    —
  • 32096
    Lung biopsy · 13.41 wRVU
    —
  • 32097
    Lung nodule biopsy · 13.41 wRVU
    —
  • 32609
    Pleural biopsy · 4.47 wRVU
    —
  • 32400
    Pleural biopsy · 1.72 wRVU
    $166.34

How to choose

32096Lung biopsy
This code is for pleural tissue obtained through open thoracic exposure. Code 32096 is for open biopsy of a lung infiltrate.
32097Lung nodule biopsy
Use this code for pleural sampling. Code 32097 applies when the open biopsy targets a lung nodule or mass.
32609Pleural biopsy
Both involve pleural biopsy, but 32609 uses thoracoscopy. This code represents an open thoracic approach.
32400Pleural biopsy
Code 32400 describes percutaneous needle biopsy of pleura; this code is for pleural biopsy through open surgical exposure.

Codes related to 32098

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

Codes related to 32098
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
32096Lung biopsyOpen thoracic biopsy directed at a lung infiltrate rather than pleura.No office rate
32097Lung nodule biopsyOpen thoracic biopsy directed at a lung nodule or mass.No office rate
Used instead
32400Pleural biopsyPercutaneous needle sampling of pleura uses a different approach.$148.92–$215.34
32609Pleural biopsyThoracoscopic pleural biopsy uses an endoscopic rather than open approach.No office rate

32098 billing questions

How does this differ from an open lung biopsy?

Use this code when the tissue sampled is pleura. Codes 32096 and 32097 describe open biopsies directed at lung infiltrates and lung nodules or masses, respectively.

Can this code be reported for each pleural specimen?

The service is reported for the open pleural biopsy procedure, not as a separate unit for every tissue fragment. The operative note should identify the pleural site and sampling performed.

Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral pleural sampling?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 should not be used.

How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative visits?

The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?

Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.

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 32098PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,688 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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