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Billing code 33533: Arterial CABGMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports coronary artery bypass surgery using one arterial graft, such as an internal thoracic artery graft to bypass a diseased coronary artery.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities68.7K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,757.89 for 33533 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 33533

Arterial CABG

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
32.91
Total RVUs
52.63
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,757.89

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 33533 → · 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 33533 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 33533 covers

A cardiac surgeon uses an arterial conduit to route blood around a coronary artery blockage. A common example is an internal thoracic artery graft to the left anterior descending artery. The operation is typically performed in a hospital operating room for a patient with coronary artery disease requiring surgical revascularization. This code represents the bypass operation, not simply conduit harvesting.

Select this code when the operation uses one arterial graft; use the arterial CABG family’s higher-level codes when more arterial grafts are used. If venous grafting is also performed, the applicable combined arterial-venous code is reported with the arterial CABG code. The operative report should identify the graft type and number, bypassed vessels, and completed procedure. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery services may be paid; 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 33533 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

33533 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,591.65
Alaska*Unavailable$2,210.74
ArizonaUnavailable$1,706.79
ArkansasUnavailable$1,571.60
AtlantaUnavailable$1,821.96
AustinUnavailable$1,751.58
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,709.76
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,868.09
BeaumontUnavailable$1,703.77
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,703.46

33533 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
33533 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 33533 rate is calculated

Each of 33533’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 · 33533

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 32.91Practice expense 11.59Malpractice 8.13

52.6300 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,757.89

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 33533

33533 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 33533

Arterial CABG

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)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.09/0.82/0.09Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 33533

Arterial CABG

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

33533 without 51 · national facility

$1,757.89

Arterial CABG

33533-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$878.95

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

33533 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

33533 vs 33534 vs 33510 vs 33517: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 33533
    Arterial CABG · 32.91 wRVU
    —
  • 33534
    Arterial CABG · 38.88 wRVU
    —
  • 33510
    Coronary bypass · 34.11 wRVU
    —
  • 33517
    Combined CABG · 3.52 wRVU
    —

How to choose

33534Arterial CABG
Choose 33534 when two arterial grafts are used; 33533 represents one arterial graft.
33510Coronary bypass
33510 represents CABG using a single venous graft. Use 33533 for a single arterial graft.
33517Combined CABG
33517 accounts for the venous graft portion of combined arterial-venous CABG; it is reported with the applicable arterial CABG code.

Codes related to 33533

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

Codes related to 33533
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
33534Arterial CABGArterial CABG sibling for two arterial grafts.No office rate
33535Arterial CABGArterial CABG sibling for three arterial grafts.No office rate
Add-on codes
33517Combined CABGAdd-on code for combined CABG with one venous graft.No office rate
Used instead
33510Coronary bypassUsed for CABG using a single venous graft without arterial grafting.No office rate
Often billed with
33508Vein harvestIdentifies endoscopic vein harvesting when performed during a CABG operation.No office rate

33533 billing questions

When should this code be chosen instead of 33534?

Use 33533 when one arterial graft is used for CABG. Code 33534 represents CABG using two arterial grafts.

Can this code be reported when venous grafting is also performed?

Yes. Report the applicable combined arterial-venous CABG code, such as 33517 for one venous graft, with the arterial CABG code when both graft types are used.

Does this code describe harvesting the arterial conduit?

No. It represents the coronary bypass operation using an arterial graft, rather than conduit harvesting alone.

What operative documentation supports one arterial graft?

The operative report should identify the arterial conduit used, the number of arterial grafts, the coronary targets, and the bypass work performed.

How does the global period affect postoperative billing?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. Those services are part of the surgical global package.

Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?

CMS indicates that an assistant at surgery may be paid for this procedure. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not 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 33533PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,998 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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