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Billing code 32200: Lung abscess drainageMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports open surgical drainage of a lung abscess, typically performed by a thoracic surgeon when operative access is required.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities36 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,108.91 for 32200 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 32200

Lung abscess drainage

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
18.21
Total RVUs
33.20
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,108.91

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 32200 → · 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 9 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 32200 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Billing questions
  9. Sources

What 32200 covers

A thoracic surgeon uses an open approach to reach and drain an abscess within the lung, evacuating infected material and addressing the cavity as needed. The service is generally performed in a hospital operating room when the abscess requires surgical drainage rather than a less invasive approach. The operative report should identify the lung site and abscess, document the open approach, and describe the drainage performed.

Report this code for the open drainage service, not for decortication or diagnostic biopsy alone. It has a 90-day global period, which includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. 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 32200 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

32200 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$999.06
Alaska*Unavailable$1,366.94
ArizonaUnavailable$1,076.10
ArkansasUnavailable$985.69
AtlantaUnavailable$1,147.05
AustinUnavailable$1,112.85
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,094.03
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,180.28
BeaumontUnavailable$1,066.76
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,076.99

32200 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
32200 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 32200 rate is calculated

Each of 32200’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 · 32200

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 18.21Practice expense 10.41Malpractice 4.58

33.2000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,108.91

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 32200

32200 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 32200

Lung abscess drainage

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 · 32200

Lung abscess drainage

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

32200 without 51 · national facility

$1,108.91

Lung abscess drainage

32200-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$554.46

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

32200 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

32200 vs 32220 vs 32225 vs 32096: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 32200
    Lung abscess drainage · 18.21 wRVU
    —
  • 32220
    Lung decortication · 25.98 wRVU
    —
  • 32225
    Lung decortication · 16.33 wRVU
    —
  • 32096
    Lung biopsy · 13.41 wRVU
    —

How to choose

32220Lung decortication
This code describes pulmonary decortication, which removes a fibrous peel restricting lung expansion. Code 32200 is for open drainage of a lung abscess.
32225Lung decortication
This code reports additional decortication work after the primary decortication service. It does not represent additional abscess drainage.
32096Lung biopsy
This code describes thoracotomy with lung biopsy. Choose 32200 when the operative purpose is open drainage of a lung abscess rather than tissue sampling.

32200 billing questions

When should this code be chosen instead of a decortication code?

Use this code when the operative service is open drainage of a lung abscess. Decortication codes describe removal of a fibrous peel from the lung, not drainage of an abscess.

Can the thoracotomy or open access be billed separately?

The open approach is part of the drainage service described by this code. Do not report a separate access procedure solely for reaching the abscess.

Should modifier 50 be appended for abscesses in both lungs?

No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Document the operative site and service performed.

What postoperative care is included?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

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

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 32200PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,702 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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