Billing code 32488: Completion pneumonectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports removal of the remaining lung after an earlier partial lung resection, such as when disease requires removal of the residual lung.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 32488 in Florida.
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 32488 covers
A completion pneumonectomy removes the remaining lung tissue on the previously operated side after an earlier partial lung resection. Thoracic surgeons typically perform it in a hospital operating room when disease in the residual lung requires removal of the rest of that lung. It is distinct from an initial pneumonectomy, which removes an entire lung without the defining history of a prior partial resection.
Report the code when the operative record supports removal of the residual lung following the earlier resection. Document the prior lung operation, side, indication, and extent of the current procedure. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this procedure. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon claims require supporting documentation, and team-surgery billing 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.
Where 32488 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | Unavailable | $2,530.78 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $2,798.93 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $2,395.40 |
How the 32488 rate is calculated
Each of 32488’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 · 32488
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 41.92Practice expense 14.55Malpractice 10.57
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32488
32488 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 32488
Completion pneumonectomy
| 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 · 32488
Completion pneumonectomy
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
32488 without 51 · national facility
$2,239.20
Completion pneumonectomy
32488-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,119.60
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%).
32488 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
32488 vs 32440 vs 32442 vs 32480 vs 32486: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 32440Pneumonectomy
- Code 32440 describes pneumonectomy; 32488 is distinguished by removal of the residual lung after an earlier partial lung resection.
- 32442Pneumonectomy
- Code 32442 is a sleeve pneumonectomy involving sleeve resection. Choose 32488 for completion removal after a prior partial lung resection when the procedure is not the sleeve operation described by 32442.
- 32480Lung resection
- Code 32480 describes removal of a lung lobe. Code 32488 is for removal of the remaining lung following an earlier partial resection.
- 32486Sleeve lobectomy
- Code 32486 describes sleeve lobectomy. It is a lobe-level sleeve procedure, unlike completion removal of the remaining lung reported with 32488.
32488 billing questions
How is this different from code 32440?
Use 32488 when the entire remaining lung is removed after a prior partial lung resection. Code 32440 describes pneumonectomy without that completion-surgery circumstance.
What documentation supports reporting 32488?
The operative report should identify the prior partial lung resection, the side, and removal of the remaining lung tissue. Include the indication and the extent of the current operation.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. Modifier 50 is not appropriate because this procedure removes the remaining lung on the previously operated side.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50% when performed in the same session.
How does the global period affect postoperative care?
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-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team-surgery billing 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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