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Billing code 32505: Lung wedge resectionMedicare rate & RVUs

Open therapeutic lung wedge resection removes a localized lesion, such as a peripheral nodule, when wedge excision is the intended treatment.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities943 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $894.81 for 32505 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 32505

Lung wedge resection

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
15.36
Total RVUs
26.79
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$894.81

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 32505 → · 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 32505 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 32505 covers

An open therapeutic lung wedge resection removes a limited, nonanatomic portion of lung containing a lesion while leaving surrounding lung in place. Thoracic surgeons perform it through a thoracotomy, commonly to remove a peripheral pulmonary nodule or another localized lesion when wedge excision is the intended treatment. This differs from a wedge taken chiefly to establish a diagnosis and from an anatomic segmentectomy or lobectomy.

Report 32505 for the initial therapeutic wedge resection in the operative session; report 32506 for each additional therapeutic wedge resection when supported. The operative report should establish the open approach, therapeutic intent, lesion location, and the extent and number of wedges. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery services 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 32505 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

32505 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$807.77
Alaska*Unavailable$1,110.73
ArizonaUnavailable$868.60
ArkansasUnavailable$797.20
AtlantaUnavailable$926.00
AustinUnavailable$896.09
BakersfieldUnavailable$879.23
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$951.76
BeaumontUnavailable$862.87
BrazoriaUnavailable$868.63

32505 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
32505 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 32505 rate is calculated

Each of 32505’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 · 32505

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 15.36Practice expense 7.62Malpractice 3.81

26.7900 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$894.81

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 32505

32505 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 32505

Lung wedge resection

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 · 32505

Lung wedge resection

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

32505 without 51 · national facility

$894.81

Lung wedge resection

32505-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$447.41

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

32505 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

32505 vs 32506 vs 32507 vs 32666: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 32505
    Lung wedge resection · 15.36 wRVU
    —
  • 32506
    Lung wedge resection · 2.93 wRVU
    —
  • 32507
    Lung wedge resection · 2.93 wRVU
    —
  • 32666
    Lung wedge resection · 14.14 wRVU
    —

How to choose

32506Lung wedge resection
32505 identifies the initial therapeutic wedge resection; 32506 is the add-on for each additional therapeutic wedge.
32507Lung wedge resection
Use 32507 when the open wedge is performed for diagnosis; 32505 describes therapeutic wedge removal.
32666Lung wedge resection
Both describe an initial therapeutic lung wedge resection, but 32666 is performed thoracoscopically and 32505 through open thoracotomy.

Codes related to 32505

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

Codes related to 32505
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Primary code
32506Lung wedge resectionAdd-on code for each additional therapeutic lung wedge resection.No office rate
Used instead
32507Lung wedge resectionUsed for an open diagnostic wedge resection rather than therapeutic removal.No office rate
32666Lung wedge resectionTherapeutic wedge resection performed thoracoscopically rather than through open thoracotomy.No office rate

32505 billing questions

How does 32505 differ from a diagnostic lung wedge resection?

32505 is for a therapeutic wedge resection intended to remove a lesion. When the wedge is performed chiefly to obtain tissue for diagnosis, consider 32507.

How is an additional therapeutic wedge reported?

32505 represents the initial therapeutic wedge resection. Report add-on code 32506 for each additional therapeutic wedge resection supported by the operative documentation.

Should modifier 50 be used for wedges on both lungs?

CMS identifies modifier 50 as inappropriate for this descriptor. Do not use it to represent right- and left-sided wedges.

What postoperative care is included in the global period?

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 paid for this operation?

Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; 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 32505PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,724 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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