No office rate
32120 is for re-exploration prompted by hemorrhage after a thoracic procedure. 32110 addresses traumatic hemorrhage control or repair of a lung tear.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
32120 Chest re-exploration Medicare reimbursement rates in Georgia
Report this thoracotomy when a patient returns to the operating room for exploration because of hemorrhage after a thoracic procedure. Compare 32120 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Georgia.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 32120 in Georgia?
Georgia has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$842.93–$878.11
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Thoracic surgery
About 32120: Thoracic re-exploration for postoperative bleeding
Report this thoracotomy when a patient returns to the operating room for exploration because of hemorrhage after a thoracic procedure.
This code describes reopening the chest after a prior thoracic procedure to investigate and address postoperative bleeding. A thoracic surgeon typically performs the re-exploration in an operating room when findings such as continued bloody drainage or a postoperative hemothorax prompt concern for hemorrhage. The operative work centers on locating and managing the bleeding source, rather than on an initial exploration or a planned lung resection.
Report the code when the record establishes the preceding thoracic procedure, the reason for returning to the chest, and the exploration and treatment performed. CMS assigns major-surgery status with a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 32120
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU14.03 · 55%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.90 · 31%
- Malpractice RVU3.49 · 14%
271
Medicare services in 2024 · #4070 by national volume
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.
32120 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Georgia, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
32100 describes a limited thoracotomy for lung or pleural biopsy; it is not the postoperative hemorrhage re-exploration represented by 32120.
No office rate
Choose 32124 when exploration with adhesions is the operative focus. Choose 32120 for re-exploration due to hemorrhage following a thoracic procedure.
Compare 32120 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
2 of 2 payment localities
Atlanta →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$878.11
Rest Of Georgia →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$842.93
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32120 billing questions
When is 32120 appropriate instead of 32110?
Use 32120 for re-exploration due to hemorrhage following a thoracic procedure. Code 32110 addresses traumatic hemorrhage control or repair of a lung tear.
What documentation supports reporting 32120?
Document the prior thoracic procedure, the postoperative concern for hemorrhage, the decision to return to the operating room, and the findings and treatment during re-exploration.
Does the 90-day global include related postoperative visits?
Yes. CMS includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care in the major-surgery global period.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in that session are paid at 50% under the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral re-exploration?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
3,68932100,,Exploration of chest,A,,13.41,6.55,NA,6.55,,3.31,23.27,23.27,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,6903210F,,Grp a strep test performed,M,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,69132110,,Explore/repair chest,A,,24.65,11.04,NA,11.04,,6.10,41.79,41.79,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,69232120,,Re-exploration of chest,A,,14.03,7.90,NA,7.90,,3.49,25.42,25.42,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,69332124,,Explore chest free adhesions,A,,15.06,8.12,NA,8.12,,3.74,26.92,26.92,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,69432140,,Removal of lung lesion(s),A,,16.24,8.28,NA,8.28,,4.08,28.60,28.60,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,69532141,,Remove/treat lung lesions,A,,26.50,9.84,NA,9.84,,6.58,42.92,42.92,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00