Billing code 33959: Cannula repositioningMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports percutaneous repositioning of a peripheral ECMO/ECLS cannula in a patient younger than one year when its position requires adjustment during support.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33959 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 33959 covers
This service covers percutaneous adjustment of a peripheral cannula while a patient younger than one year is receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or extracorporeal life support. It is performed by a clinician managing the ECMO/ECLS circuit when a cannula needs repositioning, rather than initial placement or removal. The patient’s age and the peripheral, percutaneous approach distinguish this code from other repositioning services in the family.
Report the service when the record supports an actual cannula repositioning and identifies the patient’s age, cannula site, and percutaneous approach. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. If multiple procedures are 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 requires documentation of medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 33959 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 | $245.17 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $271.68 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $232.37 |
How the 33959 rate is calculated
Each of 33959’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 · 33959
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 4.36Practice expense 1.05Malpractice 1.06
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33959
The CMS indicators that decide how 33959 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33959
Cannula repositioning
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
33959 without 51 · national facility
$216.10
Cannula repositioning
33959-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$108.05
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%).
33959 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
33959 vs 33958 vs 33962 vs 33951: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 33958Cannula repositioning
- Both describe percutaneous repositioning of a peripheral ECMO/ECLS cannula; the age group determines which code applies.
- 33962ECMO cannula
- This code represents peripheral cannula repositioning by an open approach, while 33959 is percutaneous.
- 33951ECMO cannulation
- 33951 reports peripheral cannula insertion. Use 33959 only when an existing cannula is repositioned during ECMO/ECLS support.
33959 billing questions
When is 33959 selected over another repositioning code?
Use it for percutaneous repositioning of a peripheral cannula in a patient younger than one year. The other codes in the family distinguish age groups and approach.
Does 33959 cover initial cannula placement or removal?
No. It reports repositioning during ECMO/ECLS support; initial insertion and cannula removal are separate services.
What documentation supports reporting 33959?
Document the repositioning performed, the peripheral cannula and percutaneous approach, and the patient’s age.
Can modifier 50 be appended for repositioning two cannulas?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only with documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How does payment work when other procedures are performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction.
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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