CPT code 33017: Pericardial drainage2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $214.10 for 33017 nationally in a facility.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 33017 covers

This code describes percutaneous drainage of fluid from the pericardial space in a patient who is at least six years old and has no congenital cardiac anomaly. The procedure may be performed for a clinically significant pericardial effusion, including an effusion associated with cardiac tamponade. Cardiologists and other physicians who perform pericardial procedures may provide the service in a hospital or another procedural setting.

Choose the code based on the patient’s age and congenital cardiac history, and document the percutaneous drainage, indication, and relevant eligibility details. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces the others to 50%. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this single pericardial space. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting are not permitted for this procedure.

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 33017 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

33017 rates by state

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

How the 33017 rate is calculated

Each of 33017’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 33017

The CMS indicators that decide how 33017 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

33017 compared with similar codes

How to choose

33018Pericardial drainage

This code is for patients age six or older without a congenital cardiac anomaly. Choose 33018 for patients younger than six or with a congenital cardiac anomaly.

33019Pericardial drainage

33019 describes percutaneous pericardial drainage with insertion of an indwelling catheter; 33017 is selected for its age and congenital-anomaly criteria.

33016Pericardiocentesis

33016 describes pericardiocentesis, including imaging guidance when performed. 33017 describes percutaneous pericardial drainage for the specified age and congenital-anomaly group.

33020Pericardiotomy

33020 describes pericardial drainage through an incision. Use 33017 for the percutaneous approach in a patient meeting its eligibility criteria.

Codes related to 33017

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates