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Billing code 35820: Chest explorationMedicare rate & RVUs

Report chest exploration to investigate postoperative bleeding, thrombosis, or infection, including reopening a sternotomy or thoracotomy when needed.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities4.2K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,870.78 for 35820 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 35820

Chest exploration

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
35.97
Total RVUs
56.01
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,870.78

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 35820 → · 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 35820 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 35820 covers

This service involves reopening and examining the chest after a prior operation to investigate suspected postoperative hemorrhage, thrombosis, or infection. A cardiothoracic or vascular surgeon may perform it in an operating room, often after cardiac or other chest surgery. The exploration can include lysis of adhesions; the clinical record should identify the suspected complication and the findings from the exploration.

Report the code for the postoperative chest exploration, rather than for a general chest incision or exploration unrelated to a postoperative complication. It has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Do not use modifier 50; this service is not billed bilaterally. An assistant at surgery 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 35820 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

35820 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,696.09
Alaska*Unavailable$2,363.59
ArizonaUnavailable$1,816.75
ArkansasUnavailable$1,675.06
AtlantaUnavailable$1,939.60
AustinUnavailable$1,861.34
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,814.40
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,987.18
BeaumontUnavailable$1,816.14
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,812.21

35820 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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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
35820 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 35820 rate is calculated

Each of 35820’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 · 35820

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 35.97Practice expense 11.22Malpractice 8.82

56.0100 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,870.78

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 35820

35820 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 35820

Chest exploration

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)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.09/0.84/0.07Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 35820

Chest exploration

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

35820 without 51 · national facility

$1,870.78

Chest exploration

35820-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$935.39

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

35820 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

35820 vs 35800 vs 35840 vs 32100: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 35820
    Chest exploration · 35.97 wRVU
    —
  • 35800
    Neck exploration · 11.7 wRVU
    —
  • 35840
    Abdominal exploration · 20.23 wRVU
    —
  • 32100
    Chest exploration · 13.41 wRVU
    —

How to choose

35800Neck exploration
This code is for postoperative exploration in the chest; 35800 is for the neck.
35840Abdominal exploration
This code is for postoperative exploration in the chest; 35840 is for the abdomen.
32100Chest exploration
Use 35820 to investigate postoperative hemorrhage, thrombosis, or infection. A general thoracotomy exploration is not selected on that basis.

Codes related to 35820

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

Codes related to 35820
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
35800Neck explorationExploration for the same postoperative complications in the neck.No office rate
35840Abdominal explorationExploration for the same postoperative complications in the abdomen.No office rate
35860Artery explorationExploration for the same postoperative complications in an extremity.No office rate

35820 billing questions

When should this be chosen instead of a general thoracotomy exploration?

Use this code when the chest is reopened to investigate postoperative hemorrhage, thrombosis, or infection. A general thoracotomy exploration is for a different clinical purpose, not investigation of these postoperative complications.

Does the code include reopening the chest and lysis of adhesions?

Yes. The exploration includes reopening a sternotomy or thoracotomy and may include lysis of adhesions.

Should modifier 50 be reported?

No. This chest exploration is not billed bilaterally, so do not append modifier 50.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

What documentation supports reporting this service?

Document the prior chest operation, the suspected postoperative bleeding, thrombosis, or infection, and the findings and work performed during the exploration.

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 35820PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,416 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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