Billing code 33871: Aortic arch graftMedicare rate & RVUs in Guam
Reported when an open operation replaces the transverse aortic arch with a graft and uses hypothermic circulatory arrest.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33871 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 33871 covers
A cardiac surgeon uses this code for open graft replacement of the transverse aortic arch during hypothermic circulatory arrest, typically with cardiopulmonary bypass. The operation may address an arch aneurysm or aortic dissection involving the transverse arch. It is performed in an operating room, generally in a hospital setting; the operative report should identify the arch segment replaced and describe the graft reconstruction and use of hypothermic arrest.
Select the code from the operation actually performed, distinguishing transverse arch replacement from a hemiarch repair or a repair specifically for hypoplastic arch. The code has a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; 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.
33871 in Hawaii, Guam
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii, Guam | Unavailable | $2,868.90 |
How the 33871 rate is calculated
Each of 33871’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 · 33871
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 59.36Practice expense 15.84Malpractice 14.72
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33871
33871 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33871
Aortic arch graft
| 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) | 0.09/0.84/0.07 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 33871
Aortic arch graft
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
33871 without 51 · national facility
$3,003.41
Aortic arch graft
33871-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,501.71
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%).
33871 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
33871 vs 33866 vs 33853 vs 33875 vs 33858: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 33866Aortic graft
- 33866 is for aortic hemiarch graft work. Use 33871 when the documented replacement extends across the transverse arch and uses hypothermic circulatory arrest.
- 33853Aortic arch repair
- 33853 addresses repair of a hypoplastic aortic arch with bypass. 33871 describes transverse arch graft replacement with hypothermic circulatory arrest.
- 33875Aortic graft
- 33875 concerns thoracic aortic graft replacement outside the transverse arch operation described by 33871. Use the code matching the treated aortic segment and procedure.
- 33858Aortic graft
- 33858 describes ascending aortic graft repair for disease at the aortic dissection site. 33871 is the transverse arch graft procedure with hypothermic circulatory arrest.
33871 billing questions
How does this differ from a hemiarch graft?
Use 33871 for transverse arch graft replacement with hypothermic circulatory arrest. Code 33866 describes aortic hemiarch graft work, a more limited extent of arch replacement.
When would 33853 be considered instead?
Code 33853 describes repair of a hypoplastic aortic arch with bypass. Choose based on the documented operation and indication, rather than treating it as interchangeable with transverse arch graft replacement.
Are related postoperative visits separately reported?
Related postoperative care during the 90-day global period is included. The day-before preoperative visit is also included.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted for this code.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in the session are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction.
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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