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Billing code 33016: PericardiocentesisMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports needle drainage of pericardial fluid, with imaging guidance included when performed, for an effusion or cardiac tamponade.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities3.8K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $204.08 for 33016 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 33016

Pericardiocentesis

Work RVUs
4.29
Total RVUs
6.11
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$204.08

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 33016 →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 33016 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 33016 covers

A clinician accesses the pericardial space with a needle to aspirate fluid, often to relieve pressure from an effusion or tamponade and, when indicated, obtain fluid for analysis. Cardiologists and other clinicians experienced in the procedure commonly perform it in a hospital, such as in a catheterization laboratory or intensive care unit. Imaging guidance is included when used. This code fits pericardiocentesis rather than drainage that leaves an indwelling catheter in place.

Document the clinical indication, pericardial access and aspiration, and imaging used. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and 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 33016 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

33016 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$186.26
Alaska*Unavailable$262.68
ArizonaUnavailable$198.46
ArkansasUnavailable$184.13
AtlantaUnavailable$211.60
AustinUnavailable$202.20
BakersfieldUnavailable$196.53
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$216.23
BeaumontUnavailable$199.24
BrazoriaUnavailable$197.70

33016 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
33016 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 33016 rate is calculated

Each of 33016’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 · 33016

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work4.29

4.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.83

0.83 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.99

0.99 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

6.1100

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$204.08

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 33016

The CMS indicators that decide how 33016 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 33016

Pericardiocentesis

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

33016 without 51 · national facility

$204.08

Pericardiocentesis

33016-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$102.04

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

33016 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 33016

    Pericardiocentesis4.29 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33017

    Pericardial drainage4.5 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33018

    Pericardial drainage5.27 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33025

    Pericardial window12.87 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

33017Pericardial drainage
Choose 33017 when percutaneous drainage includes placement of an indwelling catheter in a patient age 6 or older without congenital cardiac anomaly; 33016 reports pericardiocentesis.
33018Pericardial drainage
Choose 33018 for indwelling-catheter drainage in a patient age 5 or younger or with a congenital cardiac anomaly. 33016 reports pericardiocentesis instead.
33025Pericardial window
33025 describes surgical creation of a pericardial window for drainage; 33016 is needle access and aspiration.

Codes related to 33016

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

Codes related to 33016
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
33017Pericardial drainageUsed for percutaneous pericardial drainage with an indwelling catheter in patients age 6 or older without congenital cardiac anomaly.No office rate
33018Pericardial drainageUsed for indwelling-catheter drainage in patients age 5 or younger or with a congenital cardiac anomaly.No office rate
33020PericardiotomyAn open pericardial procedure, rather than needle pericardiocentesis.No office rate
33025Pericardial windowCreates a pericardial window for drainage rather than performing needle pericardiocentesis.No office rate

33016 billing questions

How does 33016 differ from 33017 or 33018?

33016 is for pericardiocentesis without the indwelling catheter service described by 33017 and 33018. Those codes distinguish patient age and congenital cardiac anomaly status.

Can imaging guidance be billed separately?

Imaging guidance, when performed for the pericardiocentesis, is included in 33016. Document the guidance used as part of the procedure.

Does 33016 have a global period?

Yes. It has a 0-day global period, and same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.

Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery modifier be reported?

Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for 33016.

How does CMS handle other procedures performed in the same session?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in the same session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for 33016.

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 33016PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,814 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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