No office rate
Choose 32310 when the operation removes parietal pleura. Choose 32320 when the surgeon frees the lung from a restrictive pleural rind.
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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
32320 Pulmonary decortication Medicare reimbursement rates in Colorado
Open pulmonary decortication frees a lung restricted by a fibrous pleural rind, commonly after organized empyema, so the lung can expand. Compare 32320 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Colorado.
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.
What does Medicare pay for 32320 in Colorado?
Colorado has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1522.33
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Colorado
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Thoracic surgery
About 32320: Pulmonary decortication for trapped lung
Open pulmonary decortication frees a lung restricted by a fibrous pleural rind, commonly after organized empyema, so the lung can expand.
A thoracic surgeon removes the dense fibrous layer constraining the lung, typically through a thoracotomy. The operation is used for trapped lung, often in the setting of chronic or organized empyema, when the pleural rind prevents normal expansion. The operative report should make clear that the surgeon freed the lung from the restrictive tissue, rather than only draining pleural fluid or removing parietal pleura.
Report this code for the open decortication service and document the indication, operative approach, findings, and extent of the work. It has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 32320
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are 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
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU26.57 · 58%
- Practice expense (office) RVU12.72 · 28%
- Malpractice RVU6.60 · 14%
406
Medicare services in 2024 · #3727 by national volume
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.
32320 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Colorado, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
32651 reports thoracoscopic partial pulmonary decortication. This code describes the open service.
No office rate
32652 reports thoracoscopic total pulmonary decortication. This code describes the open service.
No office rate
32035 concerns thoracostomy with rib resection for empyema; it does not describe freeing the lung from a fibrous rind.
Compare 32320 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Colorado →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1522.33
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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 32320 in Colorado.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,709
- Code
- 32320
- Physician work
- 26.57
- Practice expense
- 12.72
- Malpractice
- 6.60
GPCI2026.csv
37
- Locality
- Colorado
- Physician work
- 1.012
- Practice expense
- 1.064
- Malpractice
- 0.781
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 26.57 | × 1.012 | 26.8888 |
| Practice expense | 12.72 | × 1.064 | 13.5341 |
| Malpractice | 6.60 | × 0.781 | 5.1546 |
| Total RVUs | 45.5775 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Colorado$1522.33
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 26.57 | 1.012 |
| Practice expense | 12.72 | 1.064 |
| Malpractice | 6.6 | 0.781 |
(26.57 × 1.012 + 12.72 × 1.064 + 6.6 × 0.781) × $33.4009 = $1522.33
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.
32320 billing questions
How is this different from code 32310?
This service frees the lung from a restrictive visceral pleural rind. Code 32310 describes removal of parietal pleura, a different operative target.
Can this be reported with a chest tube or empyema drainage?
Decortication removes restrictive tissue to release the lung; drainage alone evacuates fluid or pus. The operative documentation must support the distinct work reported.
How does this differ from thoracoscopic decortication?
Codes 32651 and 32652 describe thoracoscopic decortication, with the code choice reflecting partial versus total work. Use this code for the open service.
Does modifier 50 apply if both sides are treated?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; modifier 50 should not be used.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
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.
3,70632225,,Partial release of lung,A,,16.33,8.27,NA,8.27,,4.07,28.67,28.67,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,7073230F,,Note hring tst w/in 6 mon,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
3,70832310,,Removal of chest lining,A,,14.90,7.98,NA,7.98,,3.75,26.63,26.63,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,70932320,,Free/remove chest lining,A,,26.57,12.72,NA,12.72,,6.60,45.89,45.89,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,71032400,,Needle biopsy chest lining,A,,1.72,3.08,,0.27,,0.18,4.98,2.17,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,71132408,,Core ndl bx lng/med perq,A,,3.10,20.64,,0.47,,0.34,24.08,3.91,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,71232440,,Remove lung pneumonectomy,A,,26.60,11.31,NA,11.31,,6.69,44.60,44.60,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3401112,CA,69,VISALIA,1.017,1.096,0.536
3501112,CA,70,YUBA CITY,1.017,1.096,0.536
3601112,CA,75,REST OF CALIFORNIA,1.017,1.096,0.536
3704112,CO,01,COLORADO,1.012,1.064,0.781
3813102,CT,00,CONNECTICUT,1.020,1.077,1.210
3912202,DC,01,DC + MD/VA SUBURBS,1.054,1.178,1.113
4012102,DE,01,DELAWARE,1.005,0.988,0.899