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Billing code 32851: Lung transplantMedicare rate & RVUs

Report this service for transplantation of one donor lung into a recipient when cardiopulmonary bypass is not used during the transplant operation.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities205 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $3,048.50 for 32851 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 32851

Lung transplant

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
58.15
Total RVUs
91.27
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$3,048.50

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 32851 → · 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 32851 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 32851 covers

This code represents a single-lung transplant performed without cardiopulmonary bypass. A thoracic transplant surgeon typically removes or prepares the recipient lung as needed, implants the donor lung, and connects its airway and blood vessels. The operation is performed in a hospital operating room; the transplant team may include other surgeons and an assistant.

Select this code when one lung is transplanted and cardiopulmonary bypass is not used. The operative report should identify the single-lung graft and document whether bypass was used. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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% reduction. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this single-lung descriptor. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 32851 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

32851 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$2,759.43
Alaska*Unavailable$3,840.71
ArizonaUnavailable$2,959.06
ArkansasUnavailable$2,724.65
AtlantaUnavailable$3,162.30
AustinUnavailable$3,032.61
BakersfieldUnavailable$2,953.95
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$3,240.36
BeaumontUnavailable$2,958.21
BrazoriaUnavailable$2,951.12

32851 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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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
32851 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 32851 rate is calculated

Each of 32851’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 · 32851

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 58.15Practice expense 18.51Malpractice 14.61

91.2700 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$3,048.50

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 32851

32851 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 32851

Lung transplant

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)2Permitted.
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 · 32851

Lung transplant

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

32851 without 51 · national facility

$3,048.50

Lung transplant

32851-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$1,524.25

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

32851 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

32851 vs 32852 vs 32853 vs 32854: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 32851
    Lung transplant · 58.15 wRVU
    —
  • 32852
    Lung transplant · 63.86 wRVU
    —
  • 32853
    Lung transplant · 82.37 wRVU
    —
  • 32854
    Lung transplant · 87.75 wRVU
    —

How to choose

32852Lung transplant
Both are single-lung transplants; 32852 is selected when cardiopulmonary bypass is used during the operation.
32853Lung transplant
This code is for one transplanted lung without bypass. 32853 is for a double-lung transplant without bypass.
32854Lung transplant
32854 describes a double-lung transplant with cardiopulmonary bypass; 32851 describes a single-lung transplant without it.

Codes related to 32851

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

Codes related to 32851
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
32852Lung transplantSingle-lung transplant when cardiopulmonary bypass is used.No office rate
32853Lung transplantDouble-lung transplant performed without cardiopulmonary bypass.No office rate
32854Lung transplantDouble-lung transplant when cardiopulmonary bypass is used.No office rate

32851 billing questions

How does this code differ from 32852?

Both describe a single-lung transplant. Use 32851 when cardiopulmonary bypass is not used and 32852 when it is used.

When is 32853 used instead?

32853 describes a double-lung transplant performed without cardiopulmonary bypass. The number of transplanted lungs distinguishes it from 32851.

Should modifier 50 be appended for this code?

No. The descriptor is for a single-lung transplant, and modifier 50 is not appropriate.

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 reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is 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 32851PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,791 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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