Billing code 33215: Lead repositioningMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports repositioning an implanted pacing-defibrillator lead when displacement or lead position requires correction without replacing the lead.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33215 in Georgia.
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 33215 covers
An electrophysiologist or other physician experienced in cardiac device procedures repositions a previously implanted transvenous lead connected to a pacing-defibrillator. The procedure is commonly performed in a hospital electrophysiology lab when a lead has shifted and its position needs correction, such as to restore appropriate sensing or pacing. The physician accesses the lead, adjusts its position, and confirms function before completing the procedure.
Report 33215 for repositioning the existing pacing-defibrillator lead, rather than inserting a new lead or repairing a damaged lead. The operative report should identify the lead and device, explain why its position required correction, and document the repositioning and device assessment. Medicare assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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 33215 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $284.59 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $274.24 |
How the 33215 rate is calculated
Each of 33215’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 · 33215
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.80
4.80 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.30
2.30 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.14
1.14 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
8.2400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$275.22
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33215
33215 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33215
Lead repositioning
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not 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 · 33215
Lead repositioning
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
33215 without 51 · national facility
$275.22
Lead repositioning
33215-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$137.61
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%).
33215 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33226LV lead repositioning
- 33215 is for a pacing-defibrillator lead. Choose 33226 when the repositioned lead is a left ventricular pacing lead.
- 33218Lead repair
- 33215 corrects lead position; 33218 addresses repair of a pacing-defibrillator lead.
- 33216ICD lead insertion
- 33215 repositions an existing pacing-defibrillator lead. 33216 is for insertion of one such lead.
33215 billing questions
When should 33215 be chosen instead of 33226?
Use 33215 for repositioning a pacing-defibrillator lead. Code 33226 concerns repositioning a left ventricular pacing lead.
How does repositioning differ from lead repair?
33215 describes correcting the position of an existing lead. Lead repair codes apply when the lead itself requires repair rather than repositioning.
Does 33215 cover insertion of a replacement lead?
No. It describes repositioning the existing lead; insertion of a new pacing-defibrillator lead is a different service.
What documentation supports reporting 33215?
Document the pacing-defibrillator lead involved, the reason its position required correction, the repositioning performed, and the device assessment.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard multiple-procedure reduction to other procedures performed in the same session.
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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