Billing code 33962: ECMO cannulaMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports repositioning an existing peripheral cannula during ECMO or ECLS when its position requires procedural correction to support extracorporeal flow.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33962 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 33962 covers
During extracorporeal membrane oxygenation or extracorporeal life support, a clinician may need to adjust an existing peripheral cannula when its position is interfering with effective support or causing a position-related problem. This is a repositioning service, not placement of a new cannula or removal of a cannula. It is typically performed by a surgeon or other clinician managing the ECMO/ECLS cannulation in a hospital setting.
Select 33962 by matching the documented procedure to this code’s full billing code descriptor; the 33957–33964 family distinguishes among specific patient and procedural circumstances. The record should identify the cannula and its peripheral location, the reason for adjustment, the repositioning performed, and the resulting position. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. 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 multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented 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 33962 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $224.22 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $219.11 |
How the 33962 rate is calculated
Each of 33962’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 · 33962
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 33962
The CMS indicators that decide how 33962 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33962
ECMO cannula
| 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
33962 without 51 · national facility
$216.10
ECMO cannula
33962-51 · 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%).
33962 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
33962 vs 33951 vs 33965 vs 33963: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 33951ECMO cannulation
- 33951 represents peripheral cannula insertion. Use 33962 for repositioning an existing peripheral cannula, not for establishing cannulation.
- 33965ECMO cannula removal
- 33965 represents peripheral cannula removal. Use 33962 when the cannula is adjusted and remains in place.
- 33963ECMO cannula repositioning
- Both codes are in the peripheral ECMO/ECLS repositioning family. Choose between them by matching the full billing code descriptors to the documented patient and procedural circumstances.
33962 billing questions
How do I choose 33962 over another code in the 33957–33964 family?
Match the case to the full billing code descriptor for each candidate code. Document the patient and procedural circumstances that distinguish the selected family code; the CMS short descriptor alone does not provide those details.
Is 33962 for inserting or removing an ECMO cannula?
No. It represents repositioning an existing peripheral cannula. Cannula insertion and removal are separate services with their own codes.
What documentation supports reporting the repositioning?
Document the cannula’s peripheral location, why its position required correction, what adjustment was performed, and the resulting position. The record should also support the patient and procedural circumstances specified by the code descriptor.
Can an assistant surgeon be reported with 33962?
CMS payment for an assistant at surgery is allowed only when medical necessity is documented. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How does the 0-day global period affect same-day care?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure’s payment. The code has a 0-day global period.
What happens when 33962 is performed with other procedures in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
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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