Billing code 33916: Pulmonary embolectomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $3,853.46 for 33916 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 33916 covers

This operation removes obstructive thromboembolic material from the pulmonary arteries while the patient is supported with cardiopulmonary bypass, hypothermia, and circulatory arrest. Cardiothoracic surgeons commonly perform it for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, where organized material obstructs pulmonary blood flow and requires an extensive pulmonary artery endarterectomy. The service is generally performed in a hospital operating room, not an office setting.

Select this code when the operative record supports pulmonary artery embolectomy with bypass, hypothermia, and circulatory arrest; distinguish it from pulmonary artery embolectomy performed without those features. Document the treated arteries, obstructing material, operative technique, and use of bypass, hypothermia, and circulatory arrest. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of 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. An assistant may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 33916 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

33916 rates by state

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

How the 33916 rate is calculated

Each of 33916’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 33916

33916 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

33916 compared with similar codes

How to choose

33910Pulmonary embolectomy

Use 33910 for pulmonary artery embolectomy performed without cardiopulmonary bypass. This code describes the more extensive bypass procedure with hypothermia and circulatory arrest.

33915Pulmonary embolectomy

Both codes describe pulmonary artery embolectomy with cardiopulmonary bypass. Choose this code when the operative documentation also supports hypothermia and circulatory arrest.

33917Pulmonary artery repair

Code 33917 describes pulmonary artery repair, rather than removal of thromboembolic material. The operative objective and documented procedure distinguish repair from embolectomy.

Codes related to 33916

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