CPT code 32552: Pleural catheter removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Removal of a tunneled pleural catheter with a cuff, commonly reported when drainage is no longer needed or the catheter must be taken out.
Medicare pays $192.53–$213.05 for 32552 in the office in Florida, from Rest Of Florida to Miami. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 32552 covers
This service removes an indwelling tunneled pleural catheter with its cuff. Pulmonologists, thoracic surgeons, and interventional radiologists commonly perform removal in an outpatient procedure area or hospital setting. Patients often have a catheter placed for recurrent pleural effusion, including malignant effusion; removal may follow successful control of the effusion or occur when the catheter is infected or malfunctioning. The work involves freeing the cuff and withdrawing the catheter, rather than aspirating pleural fluid or inserting a replacement device.
Report the service when the documented procedure removes a tunneled pleural catheter with a cuff. The operative or procedure note should identify the catheter removed and document the removal. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces the others to 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; CMS does not recognize co-surgeon or team-surgery payment for this service.
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 32552 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.
3 payment localities
$192.53 to $213.05
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | $201.69 | $158.04 |
| Miami | $213.05 | $168.19 |
| Rest Of Florida | $192.53 | $151.34 |
How the 32552 rate is calculated
Each of 32552’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 · 32552
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.47
2.47 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.88
2.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.36
0.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.7100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$190.72
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32552
32552 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 32552
Pleural catheter removal
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 32552
Pleural catheter removal
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
32552 without 51 · national office
$190.72
Pleural catheter removal
32552-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$95.36
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%).
32552 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 32550Pleural catheter
- Use 32550 for inserting a tunneled pleural catheter with a cuff; use 32552 when that catheter is removed.
- 32551Chest tube
- 32551 describes chest-tube insertion for pleural drainage, not removal of a tunneled catheter.
- 32554Thoracentesis
- 32554 is pleural fluid aspiration without imaging guidance. It does not describe removal of an indwelling tunneled catheter.
32552 billing questions
How does this differ from 32550?
32552 reports removal of a tunneled pleural catheter with a cuff. 32550 reports insertion of that catheter.
Is pleural fluid aspiration included?
The service is catheter removal, not thoracentesis. A separately performed aspiration is a distinct service and should be documented as such.
Can modifier 50 be used for catheters on both sides?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this catheter-removal service.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document that the catheter was tunneled and had a cuff, identify the catheter removed, and describe the removal performed.
Are postoperative visits separately reported during the global period?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the 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
Fee sheets
Put 32552 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →