Billing code 33017: Pericardial drainageMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports percutaneous drainage of pericardial fluid in a patient age six or older who does not have a congenital cardiac anomaly.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33017 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 33017 covers
This code describes percutaneous drainage of fluid from the pericardial space in a patient who is at least six years old and has no congenital cardiac anomaly. The procedure may be performed for a clinically significant pericardial effusion, including an effusion associated with cardiac tamponade. Cardiologists and other physicians who perform pericardial procedures may provide the service in a hospital or another procedural setting.
Choose the code based on the patient’s age and congenital cardiac history, and document the percutaneous drainage, indication, and relevant eligibility details. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces the others to 50%. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this single pericardial space. Medicare does not pay for an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting are not permitted for this procedure.
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.
33017 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | Unavailable | $275.54 |
How the 33017 rate is calculated
Each of 33017’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 · 33017
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.50
4.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.87
0.87 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.04
1.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.4100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$214.10
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33017
The CMS indicators that decide how 33017 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33017
Pericardial drainage
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
33017 without 51 · national facility
$214.10
Pericardial drainage
33017-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$107.05
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%).
33017 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33018Pericardial drainage
- This code is for patients age six or older without a congenital cardiac anomaly. Choose 33018 for patients younger than six or with a congenital cardiac anomaly.
- 33019Pericardial drainage
- 33019 describes percutaneous pericardial drainage with insertion of an indwelling catheter; 33017 is selected for its age and congenital-anomaly criteria.
- 33016Pericardiocentesis
- 33016 describes pericardiocentesis, including imaging guidance when performed. 33017 describes percutaneous pericardial drainage for the specified age and congenital-anomaly group.
- 33020Pericardiotomy
- 33020 describes pericardial drainage through an incision. Use 33017 for the percutaneous approach in a patient meeting its eligibility criteria.
33017 billing questions
How does this code differ from 33018?
Both describe percutaneous pericardial drainage. Use 33017 for a patient age six or older without a congenital cardiac anomaly; 33018 is for a patient younger than six or with a congenital cardiac anomaly.
When is 33019 a better fit?
33019 describes percutaneous pericardial drainage with insertion of an indwelling catheter. Select it when the documented service includes that catheter placement.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. The pericardial space is a single anatomic site for this service, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What documentation supports reporting 33017?
Document the percutaneous drainage, the clinical reason for treating the pericardial fluid, the patient’s age, and whether a congenital cardiac anomaly is present.
How does 33017 differ from 33016?
33017 is selected by the age and congenital-anomaly criteria for percutaneous pericardial drainage. 33016 describes pericardiocentesis, including imaging guidance when performed.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces other procedures in the session to 50%.
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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