CPT 32151: Lung foreign body removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Reports open thoracotomy to remove a foreign object embedded in lung tissue when retrieval requires surgical access rather than bronchoscopic removal.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 32151 in Delaware.
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 32151 covers
32151 represents an open chest operation to retrieve a foreign object embedded within lung tissue. A thoracic surgeon typically performs it in a hospital operating room, such as when an aspirated object or penetrating fragment cannot be retrieved through the airway and requires direct lung dissection. The operative report should establish that the object was within the lung, describe the open approach, and document its removal. This is distinct from removing a foreign body elsewhere in the chest or excising a lung lesion.
Report the operation for the lung foreign body removal; the major-surgery global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When other procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard reduction to the others. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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.
32151 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Unavailable | $954.05 |
How the 32151 rate is calculated
Each of 32151’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 · 32151
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 16.52Practice expense 8.33Malpractice 4.15
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32151
32151 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 32151
Lung foreign body removal
| 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 · 32151
Lung foreign body removal
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
32151 without 51 · national facility
$968.63
Lung foreign body removal
32151-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$484.32
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%).
32151 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
32151 vs 32150 vs 31635 vs 32140: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 32150Lung lesion removal
- 32151 identifies removal of a foreign body embedded in lung tissue. Choose 32150 for its separately defined thoracotomy foreign-body removal service based on the operative site and procedure.
- 31635Bronchoscopy
- 31635 describes bronchoscopic foreign-body removal. Use 32151 when the object is within lung tissue and removal requires an open thoracotomy.
- 32140Bullectomy
- 32140 is for open removal of lung cysts or bullae. It does not describe retrieval of a foreign body.
32151 billing questions
How is 32151 distinguished from 32150?
32151 is for a foreign body embedded within lung tissue. Use 32150 for the distinct thoracotomy service described by that code, rather than selecting 32151 solely because the operation involves the chest.
Can 32151 be reported when a foreign body is removed by bronchoscopy?
No. 32151 describes open thoracotomy removal from lung tissue; bronchoscopic foreign body removal is represented by 31635 when that service is performed.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for removal from both lungs?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Report the service based on the documented operation, not by appending modifier 50.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
May an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; 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 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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