Billing code 32960: Therapeutic pneumothoraxMedicare rate & RVUs
Reports deliberate introduction of air into the pleural space to create a therapeutic pneumothorax, rather than drainage of pleural air or fluid.
Medicare pays $134.27 for 32960 nationally in the office and $82.17 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $122.05–$169.23.
Medicare rate · 32960
Therapeutic pneumothorax
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
- Work RVUs
- 1.79
- Total RVUs
- 4.02
- Global days
- 000
National rate · 2026
$134.27
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 32960 → · 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
What 32960 covers
This service involves intentionally introducing air into the pleural space to produce a pneumothorax for therapeutic purposes. It is distinct from treating a spontaneous pneumothorax by removing air or placing a drain. The procedure is performed by a physician; documentation should establish the therapeutic intent and describe the pleural intervention. The code is rarely reported in current Medicare practice, so the record should make clear what was done rather than relying only on a diagnosis of pneumothorax.
Report 32960 for the therapeutic induction itself, not for thoracentesis or chest-tube drainage. The minor procedure has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard multiple-procedure reduction to the others. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 32960 pays more and less
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
109 payment localities
$122.05 to $169.23
109 of 109 payment localities
32960 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.
$122.05
$166.43
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $166.43 | 1 |
| AL | $123.41 | 1 |
| AR | $122.05 | 1 |
| AZ | $131.40 | 1 |
| CA | $139.63–$169.23 | 29 |
| CO | $138.34 | 1 |
| CT | $141.87 | 1 |
| DC | $150.43 | 1 |
| DE | $133.23 | 1 |
| FL | $133.73–$144.78 | 3 |
| GA | $127.73–$136.57 | 2 |
| GU | $141.68 | 1 |
| HI | $141.68 | 1 |
| IA | $125.35 | 1 |
| ID | $126.07 | 1 |
| IL | $131.05–$141.53 | 4 |
| IN | $126.62 | 1 |
| KS | $125.12 | 1 |
| KY | $126.13 | 1 |
| LA | $126.07–$130.85 | 2 |
| MA | $137.89–$149.65 | 2 |
| MD | $135.29–$150.43 | 3 |
| ME | $126.82–$131.80 | 2 |
| MI | $128.87–$135.28 | 2 |
| MN | $132.76 | 1 |
| MO | $124.55–$130.95 | 3 |
| MS | $123.31 | 1 |
| MT | $134.26 | 1 |
| NC | $127.81 | 1 |
| ND | $131.30 | 1 |
| NE | $125.81 | 1 |
| NH | $136.49 | 1 |
| NJ | $143.54–$149.49 | 2 |
| NM | $129.51 | 1 |
| NV | $133.50 | 1 |
| NY | $129.31–$155.52 | 5 |
| OH | $128.27 | 1 |
| OK | $125.72 | 1 |
| OR | $132.51–$141.66 | 2 |
| PA | $128.30–$139.16 | 2 |
| PR | $134.96 | 1 |
| RI | $137.16 | 1 |
| SC | $128.24 | 1 |
| SD | $130.94 | 1 |
| TN | $125.63 | 1 |
| TX | $127.66–$137.85 | 8 |
| UT | $129.59 | 1 |
| VA | $131.62–$150.43 | 2 |
| VI | $134.96 | 1 |
| VT | $131.10 | 1 |
| WA | $137.53–$152.11 | 2 |
| WI | $127.89 | 1 |
| WV | $127.33 | 1 |
| WY | $132.97 | 1 |
How the 32960 rate is calculated
Each of 32960’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 · 32960
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.79Practice expense 2.08Malpractice 0.15
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32960
The CMS indicators that decide how 32960 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 32960
Therapeutic pneumothorax
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
32960 without 51 · national office
$134.27
Therapeutic pneumothorax
32960-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$67.14
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%).
32960 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
32960 vs 32551 vs 32554 vs 32556: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 32551Chest tube
- Use this code for tube thoracostomy to drain the pleural space. 32960 is for deliberately introducing air to create a therapeutic pneumothorax.
- 32554Thoracentesis
- Thoracentesis removes pleural fluid by needle. It does not describe introducing air for a therapeutic pneumothorax.
- 32556Pleural catheter
- This code describes percutaneous pleural drainage using a catheter. Choose 32960 only when the documented service deliberately creates a therapeutic pneumothorax.
32960 billing questions
How is 32960 different from a chest tube procedure?
32960 describes deliberate introduction of air to create a therapeutic pneumothorax. A chest tube procedure addresses pleural drainage or evacuation, so select the code that matches the documented service.
Can 32960 be reported with same-day preoperative or postoperative care?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care for the procedure.
Should modifier 50 be added when both sides are treated?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be billed?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 32960, and co-surgeons are not permitted. Team surgery is also not permitted.
What documentation supports reporting 32960?
Document the therapeutic intent, the deliberate introduction of air into the pleural space, and the procedure performed. A diagnosis of pneumothorax alone does not establish that this service was provided.
How does Medicare handle 32960 when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are subject to the reduction.
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
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