Billing code 33512: Coronary bypassMedicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports coronary artery bypass using three venous grafts, typically for coronary artery disease when the operative record documents three vein grafts.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33512 in Illinois.
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 33512 covers
A cardiothoracic surgeon uses venous conduits, commonly harvested from the leg, to route blood around obstructed coronary arteries. This service is generally performed in a hospital operating room as surgical treatment for coronary artery disease. The code represents a bypass configuration using three venous grafts; it is not selected simply because three coronary arteries have disease.
Choose the code from the graft details in the operative report. When arterial and venous grafts are combined, use the combination CABG coding family rather than this venous-only code. The major-surgery global period includes 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 others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 33512 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | Unavailable | $2,725.67 |
| East St. Louis | Unavailable | $2,576.56 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Unavailable | $2,414.77 |
| Suburban Chicago | Unavailable | $2,552.34 |
How the 33512 rate is calculated
Each of 33512’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 · 33512
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work42.88
42.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense14.21
14.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice10.52
10.52 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
67.6100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$2,258.23
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33512
33512 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33512
Coronary bypass
| 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) | 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 · 33512
Coronary bypass
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
33512 without 51 · national facility
$2,258.23
Coronary bypass
33512-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,129.12
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%).
33512 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33511Coronary bypass
- Use 33511 when the venous-only bypass uses two grafts; use 33512 when it uses three.
- 33513Coronary bypass
- Use 33513 for four venous grafts. The distinction from 33512 is the documented graft count.
- 33519CABG grafts
- 33519 belongs to the combined arterial-and-venous CABG family for three venous grafts; 33512 is for a venous-only configuration.
- 33533Arterial CABG
- 33533 represents an arterial-only bypass configuration with one arterial graft, rather than three venous grafts.
33512 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from the two- or four-graft codes?
Use the operative report to establish the number of venous grafts. This code represents three; 33511 represents two and 33513 represents four.
Does three-vessel coronary disease automatically support this code?
No. Code selection follows the venous graft configuration documented for the operation, not the number of diseased coronary vessels.
What if arterial and venous grafts are both used?
Use the CABG combination family for a procedure that includes both arterial and venous grafts, rather than reporting this venous-only code for the combined configuration.
Can modifier 50 be appended?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this code, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for its bypass configuration.
How does the global period affect related postoperative care?
The 90-day major-surgery global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery 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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