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Billing code 33508: Vein harvestMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports endoscopic procurement of vein for coronary artery bypass surgery as an add-on to a qualifying CABG procedure.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities56.6K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $14.36 for 33508 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 33508

Vein harvest

Work RVUs
0.3
Total RVUs
0.43
Global days
ZZZ

National rate · 2026

$14.36

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 33508 →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 33508 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 33508 covers

During coronary artery bypass surgery, this service captures endoscopic procurement of a vein conduit, most often the saphenous vein from the leg, for use in the bypass. The surgeon or another qualified member of the cardiac surgical team works through small incisions using an endoscope to locate, free, and retrieve the conduit. The bypass graft is fashioned and connected as part of the primary operation; 33508 represents the vein-harvest work, not the coronary bypass anastomoses.

Report 33508 as an add-on with an eligible CABG primary procedure when the vein was harvested endoscopically. It may accompany vein-only, combined artery-and-vein, or arterial CABG coding when the operative report supports the qualifying bypass and documents the endoscopic harvest. Do not report it alone. Under the CMS rule for this code, payment falls within the primary procedure's global period. Documentation should identify the harvested conduit and site, the endoscopic approach, and its intended use for coronary revascularization.

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 33508 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

33508 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$13.10
Alaska*Unavailable$18.45
ArizonaUnavailable$13.96
ArkansasUnavailable$12.95
AtlantaUnavailable$14.89
AustinUnavailable$14.23
BakersfieldUnavailable$13.83
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$15.22
BeaumontUnavailable$14.02
BrazoriaUnavailable$13.91

33508 rates by state

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

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Explore a state

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
33508 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 33508 rate is calculated

Each of 33508’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 · 33508

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work0.30

0.30 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.06

0.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.07

0.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

0.4300

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$14.36

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 33508

The CMS indicators that decide how 33508 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 33508

Vein harvest

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodZZZAdd-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
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.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 80 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

33508 without 80 · national facility

$14.36

Vein harvest

33508-80 · Assistant: 16%

$2.30

A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.

When to use modifier 80

33508 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

  • 33508

    Vein harvest0.3 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33509

    Artery harvest3.26 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33510

    Coronary bypass34.11 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33517

    Combined CABG3.52 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33533

    Arterial CABG32.91 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

33509Artery harvest
33509 reports endoscopic harvest of an upper-extremity artery for CABG. Use 33508 for endoscopic vein harvest.
33510Coronary bypass
33510 reports a single-vein CABG bypass, not the endoscopic procurement of the vein. 33508 is an add-on when that harvest is performed endoscopically.
33517Combined CABG
33517 describes a combined artery-and-vein CABG procedure. It is a primary bypass code; 33508 separately identifies eligible endoscopic vein-harvest work.
33533Arterial CABG
33533 reports arterial CABG. 33508 identifies endoscopic vein procurement when it is also performed for the bypass.

Codes related to 33508

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

Codes related to 33508
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
33509Artery harvestEndoscopic harvesting of an upper-extremity artery rather than a vein for CABG.No office rate
Primary code
33510Coronary bypassPrimary CABG procedure for a single vein graft.No office rate
33517Combined CABGCombined artery-and-vein CABG primary procedure.No office rate
33533Arterial CABGArterial CABG primary procedure that may be paired with documented vein harvest.No office rate

33508 billing questions

Can 33508 be reported by itself?

No. It is an add-on and must be reported with a qualifying primary CABG procedure.

Which CABG procedures can be paired with 33508?

It may be paired with eligible vein-only, combined artery-and-vein, or arterial CABG procedures when the record supports endoscopic vein harvest for the bypass.

How is 33508 different from 33510?

33508 reports the endoscopic harvest of vein; 33510 reports a single-vein coronary bypass. The harvest code supplements the bypass procedure rather than replacing it.

What should the operative report document?

Document the vein and harvest site, the endoscopic approach, and that the conduit was procured for coronary bypass.

How does the CMS global-period rule affect payment?

CMS treats 33508 as an add-on paid within the global period of the primary CABG procedure.

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 33508PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,980 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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