Billing code 33979: Ventricular assist deviceMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports surgical placement of an implantable intracorporeal ventricular assist device configured to support one ventricle, commonly for advanced heart failure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33979 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 33979 covers
This code describes surgical implantation of an intracorporeal ventricular assist device to support one ventricle. Cardiothoracic surgeons typically perform the operation in a hospital operating room for patients with advanced heart failure who need mechanical circulatory support, such as as a bridge to transplant or longer-term therapy. The operative record should establish that the device is implantable and intracorporeal and identify the ventricle supported.
Select this code for the implanted, single-ventricle configuration; extracorporeal devices and percutaneous catheter-delivered support use different codes. Documentation should describe the device placement and whether support is for one ventricle or both. When multiple procedures subject to the CMS multiple procedure reduction are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are paid at 50%.
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 33979 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $1,836.67 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $1,799.74 |
How the 33979 rate is calculated
Each of 33979’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 · 33979
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work36.56
36.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.38
7.38 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice9.01
9.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
52.9500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,768.58
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33979
The CMS indicators that decide how 33979 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33979
Ventricular assist device
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| 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) | 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
33979 without 51 · national facility
$1,768.58
Ventricular assist device
33979-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$884.29
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%).
33979 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33975Ventricular assist device
- Use 33979 for an implantable intracorporeal device supporting one ventricle; 33975 describes an extracorporeal single-ventricle device.
- 33976Ventricular assist device
- 33976 describes an extracorporeal device configured for biventricular support. 33979 is for an implantable intracorporeal device supporting one ventricle.
- 33990VAD insertion
- 33990 describes percutaneous insertion of a left-heart assist device through arterial access, rather than surgical implantation of an intracorporeal device.
- 33980VAD removal
- 33980 describes removal of an implantable intracorporeal assist device; 33979 reports its insertion.
33979 billing questions
When should 33979 be selected?
Use it for surgical implantation of an intracorporeal assist device configured to support one ventricle. The operative report should support the implantable device type and single-ventricle configuration.
How does 33979 differ from 33975 or 33976?
33979 describes an implantable intracorporeal device. Codes 33975 and 33976 describe extracorporeal devices, with the latter supporting both ventricles.
How does 33979 differ from 33990 or 33991?
33979 is for surgical implantation of an intracorporeal device. Codes 33990 and 33991 describe percutaneous left-heart assist device insertion using different access configurations.
Should 33979 be used for device removal or pump replacement?
No. Code 33980 describes removal of an implantable intracorporeal device, while 33982 and 33983 describe pump replacement procedures.
How is 33979 paid when other procedures occur in the same session?
Under the CMS multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%.
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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