Billing code 33881: Thoracic endograftMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports endovascular repair of descending thoracic aortic disease with an endograft when the repair does not cover the left subclavian artery origin.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33881 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 33881 covers
Code 33881 describes endograft repair of descending thoracic aortic disease, such as an aneurysm, dissection, or traumatic disruption, without coverage of the left subclavian artery origin. A vascular or cardiothoracic surgeon typically performs the repair in a hospital or other surgical facility, advancing the endograft through arterial access, commonly femoral or iliac. The code includes the initial device and any required extensions through the treated segment toward the celiac artery, along with imaging guidance, monitoring, radiological supervision and interpretation, and closure of the access site.
Select this code when the operative report supports descending thoracic aortic repair and confirms that the left subclavian artery origin is not covered; use 33880 when it is covered. Documentation should identify the aortic pathology, device deployment and coverage extent, and access closure. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period. For multiple procedures 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 and co-surgeons are permitted; 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.
Where 33881 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 | $1,231.14 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $1,367.94 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $1,165.89 |
How the 33881 rate is calculated
Each of 33881’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 · 33881
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 21.97Practice expense 4.90Malpractice 5.49
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33881
33881 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33881
Thoracic endograft
| 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) | 2 | Permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.84/0.07 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 33881
Thoracic endograft
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
33881 without 51 · national facility
$1,080.85
Thoracic endograft
33881-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$540.43
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%).
33881 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
33881 vs 33880 vs 33882 vs 33875 vs 33883: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 33880Thoracic endovascular repair
- Both describe endovascular repair of the descending thoracic aorta; 33880 involves coverage of the left subclavian artery origin, while 33881 does not.
- 33882Thoracic endograft
- This related thoracic endovascular repair code addresses a different endoprosthesis configuration. Select based on the device arrangement documented for the repair.
- 33875Aortic graft
- 33875 describes open graft repair of the descending thoracic aorta. Choose 33881 for endovascular endograft repair without left subclavian origin coverage.
- 33883Aortic extension
- 33883 describes delayed placement of a proximal extension prosthesis, rather than the initial endovascular thoracic aortic repair reported with 33881.
33881 billing questions
How does 33881 differ from 33880?
Use 33881 when the endograft repair does not cover the left subclavian artery origin. Use 33880 when the repair involves that coverage.
Are imaging and access-site closure separately reported?
The code includes imaging guidance, monitoring, radiological supervision and interpretation, and closure by any method as part of the endovascular repair.
Are required endograft extensions included?
Yes. The repair includes the initial endoprosthesis and extensions required to treat the descending thoracic aorta toward the celiac artery.
What supports selecting 33881?
Document the thoracic aortic condition, endograft deployment, treated extent, and whether the left subclavian artery origin was covered.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made, and co-surgeons are permitted. Team surgery is not permitted.
How does the global period affect postoperative billing?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
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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