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CPT code 32110: Chest exploration2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Open-chest exploration and repair for a penetrating injury, such as a stab or gunshot wound, with or without bleeding control.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities231 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,395.82 for 32110 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 32110

Chest exploration

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
24.65
Total RVUs
41.79
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,395.82

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 32110 →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.

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 32110 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 32110 covers

A surgeon opens the chest to assess and repair damage from a penetrating injury, such as a stab or gunshot wound. The operation may include repairing injured intrathoracic tissue and controlling hemorrhage. Thoracic and general surgeons typically perform this urgent procedure in a hospital operating room, often after trauma evaluation identifies a chest injury requiring operative treatment.

Report this code when the operative service includes exploration and repair of a penetrating chest wound; the operative report should establish the injury, the findings, and the repair performed. Exploration and hemorrhage control are part of the service described, not separate reasons to report this code more than once. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this service. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 32110 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

32110 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,261.30
AlaskaUnavailable$1,739.98
ArizonaUnavailable$1,355.05
ArkansasUnavailable$1,245.01
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$1,445.15
Austin, TXUnavailable$1,395.63
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$1,367.20
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$1,484.20
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$1,348.17
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$1,354.27

32110 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
32110 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 32110 rate is calculated

Each of 32110’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 · 32110

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work24.65

24.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense11.04

11.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice6.10

6.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

41.7900

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,395.82

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 32110

32110 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 32110

Chest exploration

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 · 32110

Chest exploration

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.

  • 24Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78Unplanned 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

32110 without 51 · national facility

$1,395.82

Chest exploration

32110-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$697.91

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

32110 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 32110

    Chest exploration24.65 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 32100

    Chest exploration13.41 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 32120

    Chest re-exploration14.03 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 32124

    Thoracotomy15.06 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

32100Chest exploration
32100 describes exploratory thoracotomy without the penetrating-wound repair included in 32110. The repair of a penetrating injury is the key distinction.
32120Chest re-exploration
32120 is used when a prior thoracotomy is reopened for re-exploration. 32110 addresses exploration and repair of a penetrating chest injury.
32124Thoracotomy
32124 addresses open intrapleural adhesiolysis. Choose 32110 when the operative service is repair of a penetrating wound.

Codes related to 32110

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

Codes related to 32110
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
32100Chest explorationExploratory thoracotomy without the penetrating-wound repair represented by 32110.No office rate
32120Chest re-explorationFor reopening a prior thoracotomy for re-exploration rather than repairing a penetrating wound.No office rate
32124ThoracotomyFor thoracotomy focused on releasing intrapleural adhesions rather than penetrating-wound repair.No office rate

32110 billing questions

When should 32110 be chosen over 32100?

Use 32110 when the thoracotomy includes exploration and repair of a penetrating chest wound. Use 32100 for exploratory thoracotomy when the service does not include that penetrating-wound repair.

Can exploration or bleeding control be reported separately?

Exploration and hemorrhage control are included in the penetrating-wound service represented by 32110. The operative report should document the wound and repair rather than treating those elements as separate services.

What does the 90-day global period include?

It includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. The period is tied to this major thoracotomy.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

Should modifier 50 be appended for a wound on either side of the chest?

No. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this code because the descriptor and anatomy are not suited to bilateral adjustment.

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 32110PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,691 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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