Billing code 32141: Lung lesion excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Report this service for open thoracotomy with surgical excision of a focal lung lesion, such as a pulmonary nodule requiring wedge resection.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 32141 in Alaska.
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 9 sections
What 32141 covers
The surgeon opens the chest through a thoracotomy and removes a focal lesion from the lung. A wedge resection may be performed for a suspicious nodule or another localized abnormality when open access is used. This is generally an inpatient or hospital-based thoracic surgery service performed by a thoracic or other qualified surgeon; the 2024 Medicare file records facility services for this code.
Choose the code when the operative report supports open excision of a lung lesion, rather than treatment directed specifically at bullae, a lung abscess, or a foreign body. Document the lesion, operative approach, and extent of excision. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. 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.
32141 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $1,798.81 |
How the 32141 rate is calculated
Each of 32141’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 · 32141
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 26.50Practice expense 9.84Malpractice 6.58
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32141
32141 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 32141
Lung lesion excision
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.76/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 32141
Lung lesion excision
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
32141 without 51 · national facility
$1,433.57
Lung lesion excision
32141-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$716.79
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%).
32141 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
32141 vs 32140 vs 32150 vs 32666: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 32140Bullectomy
- 32141 describes open excision of a focal lung lesion; 32140 is directed to excision or plication of bullae and includes any pleural procedure.
- 32150Lung lesion removal
- Use 32150 when the open operation removes a lung abscess. Code 32141 applies to excision of a lung lesion rather than abscess removal.
- 32666Lung wedge resection
- Both can involve lung wedge resection, but 32141 is for an open thoracotomy and 32666 is for a thoracoscopic approach.
32141 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 32140?
Use 32141 for open excision of a focal lung lesion. Code 32140 is directed to excision or plication of bullae, including any pleural procedure.
Is this code appropriate for a thoracoscopic wedge resection?
No. This code describes an open thoracotomy approach; a thoracoscopic wedge resection is represented by a different code.
What documentation supports reporting 32141?
The operative report should identify the lung lesion, document the thoracotomy approach, and describe its surgical excision.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported?
Related postoperative care during the 90-day global period is included, as is the day-before preoperative visit.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
How does the multiple procedure rule affect payment?
For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard reduction.
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
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