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Billing code 32672: Lung volume reductionMedicare rate & RVUs

Thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery removes selected hyperinflated emphysematous lung in carefully selected patients with severe COPD to improve respiratory mechanics.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities83 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,427.22 for 32672 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 32672

Lung volume reduction

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
26.33
Total RVUs
42.73
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,427.22

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 32672 → · 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 32672 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 32672 covers

A thoracic surgeon performs this operation through a thoracoscopic approach to reduce lung volume in selected patients with severe emphysema and hyperinflation. The surgeon removes or plicates targeted, poorly functioning lung so the remaining lung and diaphragm can work more effectively. The service is performed in an operating room, generally in a hospital setting. The operative report should establish that the procedure was undertaken for lung volume reduction, not simply to remove a focal nodule or an isolated bulla.

Report this code when the thoracoscopic lung resection or plication is performed as emphysema volume-reduction surgery. Document the indication, thoracoscopic approach, and the tissue treated. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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 32672 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

32672 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,290.42
Alaska*Unavailable$1,788.90
ArizonaUnavailable$1,385.25
ArkansasUnavailable$1,273.92
AtlantaUnavailable$1,479.53
AustinUnavailable$1,422.72
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,388.83
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,517.54
BeaumontUnavailable$1,382.12
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,382.67

32672 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
32672 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 32672 rate is calculated

Each of 32672’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 · 32672

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 26.33Practice expense 9.78Malpractice 6.62

42.7300 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,427.22

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 32672

32672 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 32672

Lung volume reduction

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 · 32672

Lung volume reduction

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

32672 without 51 · national facility

$1,427.22

Lung volume reduction

32672-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$713.61

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

32672 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

32672 vs 32655 vs 32666 vs 32663: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 32672
    Lung volume reduction · 26.33 wRVU
    —
  • 32655
    Bulla resection · 15.77 wRVU
    —
  • 32666
    Lung wedge resection · 14.14 wRVU
    —
  • 32663
    Thoracoscopic lobectomy · 24.02 wRVU
    —

How to choose

32655Bulla resection
32655 is for thoracoscopic resection of bullae. Use 32672 when the operative purpose is lung volume reduction for emphysema.
32666Lung wedge resection
32666 describes thoracoscopic wedge resection, typically for a focal lesion. Wedge work performed as part of LVRS is reported with 32672.
32663Thoracoscopic lobectomy
32663 is thoracoscopic lobectomy. It is not the code for lung-volume-reduction resection or plication performed for emphysema.

Codes related to 32672

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

Codes related to 32672
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
32655Bulla resectionUsed for thoracoscopic bullae resection when the operation targets bullous disease rather than lung volume reduction.No office rate
32666Lung wedge resectionUsed for thoracoscopic wedge resection for a focal lesion, rather than resection performed as LVRS.No office rate
32663Thoracoscopic lobectomyDescribes thoracoscopic lobectomy, not resection or plication performed for emphysema volume reduction.No office rate

32672 billing questions

When should this code be used instead of 32655 for bullae resection?

Use this code when the thoracoscopic operation is intended to reduce lung volume for emphysema. Code 32655 describes thoracoscopic resection of bullae, such as treatment directed at a focal bulla.

Can a separate wedge-resection code be reported for tissue removed during LVRS?

Do not separately report 32666 for wedge work that is part of the lung volume reduction operation. The operative report should clarify whether a separate, distinct service was performed.

Should modifier 50 be appended when both lungs are treated?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable for this code, so modifier 50 is inappropriate.

What postoperative care is included in the global period?

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

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires 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 32672PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,769 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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