Billing code 92970: CardioassistMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Report percutaneous internal circulatory assistance, such as intra-aortic balloon pumping, for the initial setup and monitoring of mechanical cardiac support.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 92970 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 92970 covers
billing code 92970 describes percutaneous internal circulatory assistance, including initial setup and monitoring of support such as intra-aortic balloon pumping. Cardiologists and other physicians managing mechanical cardiac support may provide this service in a catheterization laboratory or hospital setting when a patient needs circulatory support. The focus is the assistance service, not simply the placement or removal of the balloon-pump device.
Report the service when the documented work supports internal percutaneous assistance and its setup and monitoring; distinguish it from external counterpulsation reported with 92971. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Do not append modifier 50: this is not a right-and-left service. An 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 92970 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 | $185.40 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $205.75 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $175.83 |
How the 92970 rate is calculated
Each of 92970’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 · 92970
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 3.42Practice expense 0.64Malpractice 0.82
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 92970
The CMS indicators that decide how 92970 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 92970
Cardioassist
| 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 | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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. |
92970 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
92970 vs 92971 vs 33967 vs 92953: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 92971Cardiac assist
- 92970 is for percutaneous internal circulatory assistance, such as intra-aortic balloon pumping; 92971 is for external assistance.
- 33967Balloon pump insertion
- 33967 represents percutaneous insertion of an intra-aortic balloon assist device. 92970 represents the circulatory-assistance service, including setup and monitoring.
- 92953External pacing
- 92953 describes temporary external pacing to support heart rate. 92970 describes mechanical circulatory assistance, not electrical pacing.
92970 billing questions
How do I choose between 92970 and 92971?
Use 92970 for percutaneous internal circulatory assistance, such as intra-aortic balloon pumping. Use 92971 for external circulatory assistance.
Does 92970 describe balloon-pump insertion?
92970 describes the circulatory-assistance service, including initial setup and monitoring. billing code 33967 describes percutaneous insertion of an intra-aortic balloon assist device.
Should modifier 50 be appended?
No. The service is not reported as bilateral work, so modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What documentation supports an assistant-at-surgery payment?
Document the medical necessity for the assistant's participation. Assistant-at-surgery payment is conditional on that documentation.
Are co-surgeons or team surgery reportable?
No. CMS lists co-surgeons and team surgery as not permitted for this code.
What same-day care is included in the global period?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
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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