Billing code 33019: Pericardial drainageMedicare rate & RVUs in Connecticut
Report CT-guided percutaneous pericardial drainage when a clinician places an indwelling catheter to drain pericardial fluid through a needle-created access.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33019 in Connecticut.
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 33019 covers
This service involves accessing the pericardial space through the chest wall under CT guidance and leaving an indwelling catheter to drain fluid, such as an effusion associated with cardiac tamponade. It is typically performed by a cardiologist, interventional radiologist, or other physician experienced in percutaneous image-guided procedures in a hospital or other facility. The catheter permits ongoing drainage rather than a single needle aspiration.
Report 33019 when the documented service includes percutaneous catheter placement and CT guidance. The procedure note should identify the indication, CT-guided access, catheter placement, and drainage performed. Imaging guidance is included in the service. 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, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; assistant-at-surgery services are not paid, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
33019 in Connecticut
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Connecticut | Unavailable | $187.48 |
How the 33019 rate is calculated
Each of 33019’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 · 33019
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.18
4.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.68
0.68 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.51
0.51 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.3700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$179.36
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33019
The CMS indicators that decide how 33019 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33019
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
33019 without 51 · national facility
$179.36
Pericardial drainage
33019-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$89.68
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%).
33019 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33016Pericardiocentesis
- Use 33019 for CT-guided percutaneous drainage with an indwelling catheter. Use 33016 for pericardiocentesis, including imaging guidance, when a catheter-drainage service is not performed.
- 33017Pericardial drainage
- 33017 is for percutaneous catheter drainage in patients age 6 years or older without congenital cardiac anomaly. 33019 identifies the CT-guided service.
- 33018Pericardial drainage
- 33018 is for percutaneous catheter drainage in patients age 0–5 years or with congenital cardiac anomaly. 33019 identifies the CT-guided service.
- 33025Pericardial window
- 33025 describes creation of a pericardial window for drainage. 33019 is the percutaneous CT-guided catheter approach.
33019 billing questions
When should 33019 be selected instead of 33016?
33019 describes percutaneous drainage with an indwelling catheter under CT guidance. 33016 describes pericardiocentesis, which may involve aspiration without leaving a catheter.
Is CT guidance separately reported with 33019?
No. The imaging guidance is included in this service; do not separately report the same CT guidance used to place the catheter.
How does 33019 differ from 33017 and 33018?
33019 identifies CT-guided catheter drainage. Codes 33017 and 33018 describe related percutaneous catheter drainage services distinguished by patient age and congenital cardiac anomaly criteria.
Can modifier 50 be appended for drainage on both sides?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to 33019, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service.
What payment rules apply when another procedure is performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the 0-day global period.
Can an assistant, co-surgeon, or surgical team be paid for 33019?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is barred for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 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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