No office rate
Both describe percutaneous pericardial drainage. Choose 33018 for age 0–5 or any age with a congenital cardiac anomaly; 33017 is for age 6 or older without one.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
33018 in Merced
Office / nonfacility
Not available in this setting
Base rate per service
Facility setting
$237.99
Base rate per service
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
Cardiology procedure
About 33018: Percutaneous pericardial drainage, young child or anomaly
Percutaneous drainage of pericardial fluid with imaging guidance for patients age 0–5 or any age with a congenital cardiac anomaly.
A physician accesses the pericardial space through the skin and drains fluid, using imaging guidance when performed to guide access. Typical situations include a clinically significant pericardial effusion or tamponade in an infant or young child, or drainage in a patient of any age with a congenital cardiac anomaly. Cardiologists and other physicians experienced in pericardial procedures perform this service in hospital or procedural settings.
Report 33018 for percutaneous pericardial drainage when the patient is age 0–5 or has a congenital cardiac anomaly; that distinction separates it from 33017. Imaging guidance is included when performed. Documentation should support the patient’s age or congenital cardiac history, the clinical indication, percutaneous access, and drainage performed. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. In a session with multiple procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this single pericardial target. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 33018
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU5.27 · 70%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.99 · 13%
- Malpractice RVU1.27 · 17%
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.
33018 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Merced, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
33019 specifies drainage with insertion of an indwelling catheter. For 33018, the patient must meet the age or congenital-anomaly criterion and the service must match that code.
No office rate
33016 is the pericardiocentesis code. Use 33018 for the specified patient group when the service is percutaneous pericardial drainage.
No office rate
33025 is a surgical pericardial-window procedure; 33018 is percutaneous drainage.
The same code, a different location
How does Merced compare?
33018 across payment areas
Same release and payment basis · bars start at $0
Merced · This locality
Unavailable
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Unavailable
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
No comparable rate is available in this setting.
Other payment areas listed in California appear first, followed by selected cross-country examples. The chart compares amounts, not distance.
The code’s RVUs stay the same in these comparisons. Geographic adjustments to work, practice expense and malpractice change the dollar amount. A city name alone may not identify the payment area for a service address.
Compare all 108 other payment areas
Madera
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$237.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Modesto
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$237.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Napa
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$252.24
No comparable office rate is available.
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$246.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Redding
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$237.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of California
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$237.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$251.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$243.55
No comparable office rate is available.
Salinas
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$242.54
No comparable office rate is available.
San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$243.84
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty)
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$258.84
No comparable office rate is available.
San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty)
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$257.40
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$265.80
No comparable office rate is available.
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty)
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$259.91
No comparable office rate is available.
San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$239.41
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Cruz-Watsonville
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$242.63
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Maria-Santa Barbara
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$242.24
No comparable office rate is available.
Santa Rosa-Petaluma
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$244.65
No comparable office rate is available.
Stockton
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$237.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Vallejo
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$250.16
No comparable office rate is available.
Visalia
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$237.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Yuba City
California · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$237.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Dc + Md/Va Suburbs
District of Columbia · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$271.69
No comparable office rate is available.
Miami
Florida · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$317.72
No comparable office rate is available.
Chicago
Illinois · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$307.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Manhattan
New York · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$292.99
No comparable office rate is available.
Alaska*
Alaska · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$322.62
No comparable office rate is available.
Alabama
Alabama · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$228.97
No comparable office rate is available.
Arkansas
Arkansas · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$226.27
No comparable office rate is available.
Arizona
Arizona · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$244.38
No comparable office rate is available.
Colorado
Colorado · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$246.45
No comparable office rate is available.
Connecticut
Connecticut · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$266.48
No comparable office rate is available.
Delaware
Delaware · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$247.71
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Lauderdale
Florida · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$286.21
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Florida
Florida · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$271.39
No comparable office rate is available.
Atlanta
Georgia · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$261.09
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Georgia
Georgia · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$256.08
No comparable office rate is available.
Hawaii, Guam
Hawaii · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$238.18
No comparable office rate is available.
Iowa
Iowa · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$223.12
No comparable office rate is available.
Idaho
Idaho · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$226.51
No comparable office rate is available.
East St. Louis
Illinois · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$291.88
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Illinois
Illinois · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$272.51
No comparable office rate is available.
Suburban Chicago
Illinois · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$286.38
No comparable office rate is available.
Indiana
Indiana · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$227.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Kansas
Kansas · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$227.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Kentucky
Kentucky · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$244.23
No comparable office rate is available.
New Orleans
Louisiana · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$255.33
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Louisiana
Louisiana · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$245.92
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Boston
Massachusetts · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$260.47
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Massachusetts
Massachusetts · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$247.47
No comparable office rate is available.
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys
Maryland · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$266.79
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maryland
Maryland · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$250.19
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Maine
Maine · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$232.83
No comparable office rate is available.
Southern Maine
Maine · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.56
No comparable office rate is available.
Detroit
Michigan · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$279.45
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Michigan
Michigan · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$254.10
No comparable office rate is available.
Minnesota
Minnesota · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$222.60
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Kansas City
Missouri · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$248.52
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan St. Louis
Missouri · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$250.01
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Missouri
Missouri · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$245.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Mississippi
Mississippi · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$235.84
No comparable office rate is available.
Montana**
Montana · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$251.42
No comparable office rate is available.
North Carolina
North Carolina · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$233.98
No comparable office rate is available.
North Dakota**
North Dakota · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$226.31
No comparable office rate is available.
Nebraska
Nebraska · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$222.58
No comparable office rate is available.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$247.56
No comparable office rate is available.
Northern Nj
New Jersey · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$270.77
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New Jersey
New Jersey · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$265.71
No comparable office rate is available.
New Mexico
New Mexico · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$257.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Nevada**
Nevada · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$244.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Nyc Suburbs/Long Island
New York · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$305.38
No comparable office rate is available.
Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs
New York · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$271.48
No comparable office rate is available.
Queens
New York · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$287.54
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of New York
New York · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$237.26
No comparable office rate is available.
Ohio
Ohio · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$248.97
No comparable office rate is available.
Oklahoma
Oklahoma · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$238.51
No comparable office rate is available.
Portland
Oregon · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$247.14
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Oregon
Oregon · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$238.78
No comparable office rate is available.
Metropolitan Philadelphia
Pennsylvania · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$264.22
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$246.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$251.24
No comparable office rate is available.
Rhode Island
Rhode Island · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$251.36
No comparable office rate is available.
South Carolina
South Carolina · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$242.63
No comparable office rate is available.
South Dakota**
South Dakota · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$223.34
No comparable office rate is available.
Tennessee
Tennessee · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$228.86
No comparable office rate is available.
Austin
Texas · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$248.94
No comparable office rate is available.
Beaumont
Texas · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$245.52
No comparable office rate is available.
Brazoria
Texas · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$243.29
No comparable office rate is available.
Dallas
Texas · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$246.94
No comparable office rate is available.
Fort Worth
Texas · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$247.16
No comparable office rate is available.
Galveston
Texas · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$245.39
No comparable office rate is available.
Houston
Texas · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$268.64
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Texas
Texas · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$245.71
No comparable office rate is available.
Utah
Utah · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$245.20
No comparable office rate is available.
Virginia
Virginia · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$238.48
No comparable office rate is available.
Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$251.24
No comparable office rate is available.
Vermont
Vermont · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$230.22
No comparable office rate is available.
Rest Of Washington
Washington · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$245.41
No comparable office rate is available.
Seattle (King Cnty)
Washington · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$260.05
No comparable office rate is available.
Wisconsin
Wisconsin · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$220.77
No comparable office rate is available.
West Virginia
West Virginia · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$265.46
No comparable office rate is available.
Wyoming**
Wyoming · 33018
Office
Unavailable
Facility
$240.48
No comparable office rate is available.
See how rates vary across the country
33018 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
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 all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
Where does this rate apply?
Merced is a Medicare payment area. Our Census mapping connects it to 24 cities and communities in California, including the examples shown here.
Some communities span more than one payment area. Follow a city link to compare all of its mapped areas, or check the service-location ZIP above for an address-level starting point.
Use this rate
What is a percentage of Medicare worth?
Turn a percentage into dollars for 33018 in Merced. This uses the base rate on this page, so the locality and release stay consistent.
Reference amount per service
$261.79
$237.99 × 110% = $261.79
A contract may specify another Medicare year or additional adjustments. This is percentage arithmetic on the displayed base rate, not a claim adjudication.
Working with a whole code list?
Compare an offer across your annual code mix, including an older Medicare schedule or flat per-code rates.
How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 33018 in Merced.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,816
- Code
- 33018
- Physician work
- 5.27
- Practice expense
- 0.99
- Malpractice
- 1.27
GPCI2026.csv
15
- Locality
- Merced
- Physician work
- 1.017
- Practice expense
- 1.096
- Malpractice
- 0.536
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 5.27 | × 1.017 | 5.3596 |
| Practice expense | 0.99 | × 1.096 | 1.0850 |
| Malpractice | 1.27 | × 0.536 | 0.6807 |
| Total RVUs | 7.1253 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Merced$237.99
Open 33018 in the RVU calculator →
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 5.27 | 1.017 |
| Practice expense | 0.99 | 1.096 |
| Malpractice | 1.27 | 0.536 |
(5.27 × 1.017 + 0.99 × 1.096 + 1.27 × 0.536) × $33.4009 = $237.99
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
How this rate has changed
33018 · Office / nonfacility
Rate unavailable
Effective 2026-10-01
A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.
One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.
What changed, release by release
Explore release dates and calculate this code in an earlier period →
Each row uses the accepted CMS release effective on that date and the same contractor and locality identifiers. Missing rates stay visible. Historical boundaries may differ; verify the service address for an older claim.
Inspect every release and its CMS source
| Effective from | Office / nonfacility | Facility | CMS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $237.99 | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $237.99 | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $237.99 | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $237.99 | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Not available in this setting | $265.52 | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Not available in this setting | $265.52 | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Not available in this setting | $265.52 | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Not available in this setting | $265.52 | RVU25A |
33018 billing questions
How does 33018 differ from 33017?
Use 33018 for patients age 0–5 or patients of any age with a congenital cardiac anomaly. Code 33017 is for patients age 6 or older without a congenital cardiac anomaly.
When is 33019 the better fit?
33019 describes percutaneous pericardial drainage with insertion of an indwelling catheter. Distinguish it by the catheter placement documented for the service.
Can imaging guidance be billed separately?
Imaging guidance is included in 33018 when performed. Do not separately report guidance for the same drainage service.
How is 33018 distinguished from 33016?
33016 describes pericardiocentesis, while 33018 describes percutaneous pericardial drainage for the specified age or congenital-anomaly group. Select based on the service performed and the applicable code definition.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery claim be used?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this pericardial procedure. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for 33018.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
3,8133300F,,Ajcc stage docd b/4 thxpy,I,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,81433016,,Pericardiocentesis w/imaging,A,,4.29,0.83,NA,0.83,,0.99,6.11,6.11,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,81533017,,Prcrd drg 6yr+ w/o cgen car,A,,4.50,0.87,NA,0.87,,1.04,6.41,6.41,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,81633018,,Prcrd drg 0-5yr or w/anomly,A,,5.27,0.99,NA,0.99,,1.27,7.53,7.53,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,81733019,,Perq prcrd drg insj cath ct,A,,4.18,0.68,NA,0.68,,0.51,5.37,5.37,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,8183301F,,Cancer stage docd metast,I,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,81933020,,Incision of heart sac,A,,13.95,6.10,NA,6.10,,3.41,23.46,23.46,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1201112,CA,57,HANFORD-CORCORAN,1.017,1.096,0.536
1301182,CA,18,LOS ANGELES-LONG BEACH-ANAHEIM (LOS ANGELES/ORANGE CNTY),1.041,1.183,0.664
1401112,CA,58,MADERA,1.017,1.096,0.536
1501112,CA,59,MERCED,1.017,1.096,0.536
1601112,CA,60,MODESTO,1.017,1.096,0.536
1701112,CA,51,NAPA,1.063,1.318,0.508
1801182,CA,17,OXNARD-THOUSAND OAKS-VENTURA,1.028,1.182,0.623