No office rate
This code is for pleural tissue obtained through open thoracic exposure. Code 32096 is for open biopsy of a lung infiltrate.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
32098 Pleural biopsy Medicare reimbursement rates in Florida
Reports open surgical sampling of pleural tissue through thoracic exposure when direct tissue diagnosis is needed for a pleural abnormality. Compare 32098 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Florida.
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 32098 in Florida?
Florida has 3 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 3 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$764.13–$885.88
3 of 3 localities have a supported rate.
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.
Where 32098 pays more and less in Florida
Thoracic surgery
About 32098: Open pleural biopsy by thoracotomy
Reports open surgical sampling of pleural tissue through thoracic exposure when direct tissue diagnosis is needed for a pleural abnormality.
A thoracic surgeon obtains pleural tissue through an open chest approach for diagnostic evaluation, such as when a pleural abnormality requires direct sampling. The target is the pleura, not lung parenchyma; this code is distinct from open biopsies directed at a lung infiltrate or nodule. The service is typically performed in a hospital operating room under general anesthesia.
Report the code when the operative record supports open access and pleural tissue sampling. Document the sampled site, approach, and reason for biopsy, and distinguish pleural sampling from any separate lung procedure. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
CMS billing rules for 32098
- 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 RVU12.59 · 58%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.95 · 28%
- Malpractice RVU3.06 · 14%
153
Medicare services in 2024 · #4545 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.
32098 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Florida, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
Use this code for pleural sampling. Code 32097 applies when the open biopsy targets a lung nodule or mass.
No office rate
Both involve pleural biopsy, but 32609 uses thoracoscopy. This code represents an open thoracic approach.
$164.83–$179.75
Code 32400 describes percutaneous needle biopsy of pleura; this code is for pleural biopsy through open surgical exposure.
Compare 32098 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.
3 of 3 payment localities
Fort Lauderdale →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$806.63
Miami →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$885.88
Rest Of Florida →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$764.13
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32098 billing questions
How does this differ from an open lung biopsy?
Use this code when the tissue sampled is pleura. Codes 32096 and 32097 describe open biopsies directed at lung infiltrates and lung nodules or masses, respectively.
Can this code be reported for each pleural specimen?
The service is reported for the open pleural biopsy procedure, not as a separate unit for every tissue fragment. The operative note should identify the pleural site and sampling performed.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral pleural sampling?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code, so modifier 50 should not be used.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative visits?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 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 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.
3,68532036,,Thoracostomy w/flap drainage,A,,11.99,8.18,NA,8.18,,3.02,23.19,23.19,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,68632096,,Open wedge/bx lung infiltr,A,,13.41,6.14,NA,6.14,,3.33,22.88,22.88,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,68732097,,Open wedge/bx lung nodule,A,,13.41,6.32,NA,6.32,,3.32,23.05,23.05,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,68832098,,Open biopsy of lung pleura,A,,12.59,5.95,NA,5.95,,3.06,21.60,21.60,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,68932100,,Exploration of chest,A,,13.41,6.55,NA,6.55,,3.31,23.27,23.27,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,6903210F,,Grp a strep test performed,M,,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
3,69132110,,Explore/repair chest,A,,24.65,11.04,NA,11.04,,6.10,41.79,41.79,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00