Billing code 32672: Lung volume reductionMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Thoracoscopic lung volume reduction surgery removes selected hyperinflated emphysematous lung in carefully selected patients with severe COPD to improve respiratory mechanics.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 32672 in Guam.
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 32672 covers
A thoracic surgeon performs this operation through a thoracoscopic approach to reduce lung volume in selected patients with severe emphysema and hyperinflation. The surgeon removes or plicates targeted, poorly functioning lung so the remaining lung and diaphragm can work more effectively. The service is performed in an operating room, generally in a hospital setting. The operative report should establish that the procedure was undertaken for lung volume reduction, not simply to remove a focal nodule or an isolated bulla.
Report this code when the thoracoscopic lung resection or plication is performed as emphysema volume-reduction surgery. Document the indication, thoracoscopic approach, and the tissue treated. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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.
32672 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $1,378.88 |
How the 32672 rate is calculated
Each of 32672’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 · 32672
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 26.33Practice expense 9.78Malpractice 6.62
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32672
32672 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 32672
Lung volume reduction
| 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.76/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 32672
Lung volume reduction
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
32672 without 51 · national facility
$1,427.22
Lung volume reduction
32672-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$713.61
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%).
32672 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
32672 vs 32655 vs 32666 vs 32663: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 32655Bulla resection
- 32655 is for thoracoscopic resection of bullae. Use 32672 when the operative purpose is lung volume reduction for emphysema.
- 32666Lung wedge resection
- 32666 describes thoracoscopic wedge resection, typically for a focal lesion. Wedge work performed as part of LVRS is reported with 32672.
- 32663Thoracoscopic lobectomy
- 32663 is thoracoscopic lobectomy. It is not the code for lung-volume-reduction resection or plication performed for emphysema.
32672 billing questions
When should this code be used instead of 32655 for bullae resection?
Use this code when the thoracoscopic operation is intended to reduce lung volume for emphysema. Code 32655 describes thoracoscopic resection of bullae, such as treatment directed at a focal bulla.
Can a separate wedge-resection code be reported for tissue removed during LVRS?
Do not separately report 32666 for wedge work that is part of the lung volume reduction operation. The operative report should clarify whether a separate, distinct service was performed.
Should modifier 50 be appended when both lungs are treated?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable for this code, so modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. 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 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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