Billing code 35820: Chest explorationMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Report chest exploration to investigate postoperative bleeding, thrombosis, or infection, including reopening a sternotomy or thoracotomy when needed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 35820 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 35820 covers
This service involves reopening and examining the chest after a prior operation to investigate suspected postoperative hemorrhage, thrombosis, or infection. A cardiothoracic or vascular surgeon may perform it in an operating room, often after cardiac or other chest surgery. The exploration can include lysis of adhesions; the clinical record should identify the suspected complication and the findings from the exploration.
Report the code for the postoperative chest exploration, rather than for a general chest incision or exploration unrelated to a postoperative complication. It has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 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. Do not use modifier 50; this service is not billed bilaterally. An assistant at surgery may be paid, co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and 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 35820 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 | $2,113.69 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $2,336.59 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $2,002.48 |
How the 35820 rate is calculated
Each of 35820’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 · 35820
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 35.97Practice expense 11.22Malpractice 8.82
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 35820
35820 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 35820
Chest exploration
| 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) | 0.09/0.84/0.07 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 35820
Chest exploration
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
35820 without 51 · national facility
$1,870.78
Chest exploration
35820-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$935.39
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%).
35820 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
35820 vs 35800 vs 35840 vs 32100: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 35800Neck exploration
- This code is for postoperative exploration in the chest; 35800 is for the neck.
- 35840Abdominal exploration
- This code is for postoperative exploration in the chest; 35840 is for the abdomen.
- 32100Chest exploration
- Use 35820 to investigate postoperative hemorrhage, thrombosis, or infection. A general thoracotomy exploration is not selected on that basis.
35820 billing questions
When should this be chosen instead of a general thoracotomy exploration?
Use this code when the chest is reopened to investigate postoperative hemorrhage, thrombosis, or infection. A general thoracotomy exploration is for a different clinical purpose, not investigation of these postoperative complications.
Does the code include reopening the chest and lysis of adhesions?
Yes. The exploration includes reopening a sternotomy or thoracotomy and may include lysis of adhesions.
Should modifier 50 be reported?
No. This chest exploration is not billed bilaterally, so do not append modifier 50.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
What documentation supports reporting this service?
Document the prior chest operation, the suspected postoperative bleeding, thrombosis, or infection, and the findings and work performed during the exploration.
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 35820 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 →