Billing code 32800: Lung hernia repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Delaware
Repair a lung hernia when lung tissue protrudes through a chest-wall defect, typically after thoracic surgery or trauma, and requires operative correction.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 32800 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 32800 covers
A lung hernia occurs when lung tissue protrudes through a defect in the chest wall, such as an intercostal space weakened by prior thoracic surgery or trauma. A thoracic surgeon repairs the defect and returns the protruding lung to its usual position. The operation is generally performed in a hospital operating room; lung hernias may present as a bulge that becomes more apparent with coughing or straining.
Report 32800 when the operative service is repair of the lung hernia, not simply treatment of a chest-wall injury or closure of a separate fistula. The operative report should identify the herniation and describe its surgical correction. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care for 90 days. For other procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; 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.
32800 in Delaware
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Delaware | Unavailable | $903.61 |
How the 32800 rate is calculated
Each of 32800’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 · 32800
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 15.32Practice expense 8.35Malpractice 3.79
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32800
32800 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 32800
Lung hernia repair
| 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 · 32800
Lung hernia repair
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
32800 without 51 · national facility
$917.19
Lung hernia repair
32800-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$458.60
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%).
32800 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
32800 vs 32820 vs 32810 vs 32815: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 32820Chest wall reconstruction
- 32800 is for repair of a lung hernia. 32820 describes chest-wall reconstruction after injury or surgery; distinguish the codes by the operation documented.
- 32810Chest closure
- 32810 concerns closing the chest wall after drainage. It is not the code for correcting lung tissue protruding through a chest-wall defect.
- 32815Fistula closure
- 32815 is for closure of a bronchial fistula. Choose 32800 when the operative target is a lung hernia rather than a fistulous connection.
32800 billing questions
When should 32800 be selected instead of chest-wall reconstruction?
Use 32800 when the operation repairs a lung hernia: lung tissue has protruded through a chest-wall defect and is surgically corrected. A chest-wall reconstruction code such as 32820 describes a different operative service and should not be chosen solely because the hernia involves the chest wall.
Does 32800 include postoperative visits?
Yes. Its 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery.
Can modifier 50 be reported for a bilateral lung hernia?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code. Report the service according to the operation performed rather than appending modifier 50.
How are other procedures performed in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures performed in that session are subject to a 50% reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, while team surgery is not permitted.
What documentation supports reporting 32800?
The operative report should document lung tissue protruding through a chest-wall defect and the surgical repair performed. A record describing only chest-wall injury, drainage-site closure, or bronchial fistula closure does not establish this service.
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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