FeeBase
Log inGet started
Menu

Billing code 33987: Artery exposureMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical exposure of a neck artery to deliver an intravascular device, as an add-on to a qualifying primary procedure.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities45 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $190.39 for 33987 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 33987

Artery exposure

Work RVUs
3.94
Total RVUs
5.70
Global days
ZZZ

National rate · 2026

$190.39

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 33987 →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 33987 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 33987 covers

This service is the surgical exposure of a neck artery through an incision so an intravascular device can be delivered. It may be performed by a cardiac or vascular surgeon during a procedure involving temporary ventricular support. The exposure is an access service; it does not describe insertion or management of the support device itself. The operative report should identify the vessel exposed and explain its role in delivering the device.

Report 33987 only with an eligible primary procedure, such as percutaneous ventricular assist device insertion when neck-artery exposure is performed. The code is reported for each vessel exposed, so documentation should establish the number of vessels and the specific exposure performed. CMS classifies it as an add-on, and payment falls within the primary procedure's global period. It is not a standalone service.

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 33987 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

33987 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$173.23
Alaska*Unavailable$243.70
ArizonaUnavailable$184.98
ArkansasUnavailable$171.18
AtlantaUnavailable$197.59
AustinUnavailable$188.60
BakersfieldUnavailable$183.08
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$201.99
BeaumontUnavailable$185.70
BrazoriaUnavailable$184.21

33987 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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
33987 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 33987 rate is calculated

Each of 33987’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 · 33987

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work3.94

3.94 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.81

0.81 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.95

0.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

5.7000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$190.39

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 33987

The CMS indicators that decide how 33987 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 33987

Artery exposure

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)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

33987 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

  • 33987

    Artery exposure3.94 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33990

    VAD insertion6.58 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33991

    VAD insertion8.62 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33988

    Left heart vent14.63 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 33975

    Ventricular assist device24.38 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

33990VAD insertion
33990 reports percutaneous insertion of a left-heart ventricular assist device through arterial access. Use 33987 only for the additional surgical neck-artery exposure when performed.
33991VAD insertion
33991 reports percutaneous insertion using arterial and venous access. It describes the device insertion, while 33987 describes qualifying neck-artery exposure.
33988Left heart vent
33988 describes insertion of a left-heart vent, not surgical exposure of a neck artery to deliver an intravascular device.
33975Ventricular assist device
33975 describes ventricular assist device insertion using an extracorporeal approach; 33987 is an access add-on for neck-artery exposure.

Codes related to 33987

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

Codes related to 33987
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Primary code
33990VAD insertionPrimary percutaneous left-heart ventricular assist device insertion using arterial access.No office rate
33991VAD insertionPrimary percutaneous left-heart ventricular assist device insertion using arterial and venous access.No office rate
Used instead
33975Ventricular assist deviceVentricular assist device insertion by an extracorporeal approach rather than neck-artery access for percutaneous delivery.No office rate

33987 billing questions

When is 33987 reported with 33990 or 33991?

Report it when the percutaneous ventricular assist device procedure includes surgical exposure of a neck artery for device delivery. The exposure is additional to, not a substitute for, the primary insertion procedure.

Is 33987 separately reportable as a standalone procedure?

No. CMS identifies it as an add-on code, so it must be billed with a qualifying primary procedure and is paid within that procedure's global period.

How many units should be reported?

The code is specified for each vessel exposed. The operative documentation should support the number of vessels surgically exposed.

What documentation supports reporting 33987?

Document the neck incision, the artery exposed, the number of vessels, and how the exposure enabled delivery of the intravascular device.

Does 33987 describe insertion of the ventricular assist device?

No. It describes the neck-artery exposure for access; the primary code describes the ventricular assist device insertion.

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 33987PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,171 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 33987 pays?

Tell us what you were actually trying to work out. We’ll answer you directly, or build the page that does.

Fee sheets

Put 33987 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.

Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →