$284.83
Choose 32555 when imaging guidance is used for pleural fluid aspiration; 32554 describes aspiration without imaging guidance.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
32554 Thoracentesis Medicare reimbursement rates in Kentucky
Report 32554 for diagnostic sampling or therapeutic drainage of pleural fluid by needle aspiration performed without imaging guidance. Compare 32554 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Kentucky.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 32554 in Kentucky?
Kentucky has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$238.35
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kentucky
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$77.12
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kentucky
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Pulmonary procedures
About 32554: Pleural fluid aspiration without imaging
Report 32554 for diagnostic sampling or therapeutic drainage of pleural fluid by needle aspiration performed without imaging guidance.
Code 32554 covers needle aspiration of pleural fluid without imaging guidance, either to obtain a diagnostic sample or relieve a symptomatic effusion. A pulmonologist, hospitalist, or other qualified physician may perform the procedure at bedside, in an office, or in a facility. The defining distinction is a one-time needle aspiration rather than placement of a catheter for ongoing drainage; aspiration performed with imaging guidance is reported with 32555.
Document the indication, side, that aspiration was performed without imaging guidance, and whether fluid was collected or drained. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. For bilateral performance, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is barred; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 32554
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.77 · 23%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.82 · 75%
- Malpractice RVU0.21 · 3%
9.7K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1482 by national volume
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.
32554 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Kentucky, from the same CMS release.
$757.05
32556 describes insertion of a pleural drainage catheter without imaging. 32554 is for needle aspiration without catheter placement.
$587.61
32557 describes imaging-guided placement of a pleural drainage catheter, while 32554 is aspiration without imaging guidance or catheter placement.
No office rate
32551 is for insertion of a chest tube; 32554 is for needle aspiration of pleural fluid.
Compare 32554 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Kentucky →
Office / nonfacility
$238.35
Facility
$77.12
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 32554 in Kentucky.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,733
- Code
- 32554
- Physician work
- 1.77
- Practice expense
- 5.82
- Malpractice
- 0.21
GPCI2026.csv
55
- Locality
- Kentucky
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.889
- Malpractice
- 0.915
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.77 | × 1.000 | 1.7700 |
| Practice expense | 5.82 | × 0.889 | 5.1740 |
| Malpractice | 0.21 | × 0.915 | 0.1921 |
| Total RVUs | 7.1361 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Kentucky$238.35
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.77 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 5.82 | 0.889 |
| Malpractice | 0.21 | 0.915 |
(1.77 × 1 + 5.82 × 0.889 + 0.21 × 0.915) × $33.4009 = $238.35
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.77 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 0.39 | 0.889 |
| Malpractice | 0.21 | 0.915 |
(1.77 × 1 + 0.39 × 0.889 + 0.21 × 0.915) × $33.4009 = $77.12
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
32554 billing questions
When should 32555 be used instead?
Use 32555 when pleural fluid aspiration is performed with imaging guidance. Code 32554 is for aspiration without imaging guidance.
Does 32554 include placement of a pleural catheter?
No. This code describes needle aspiration, not leaving a catheter in the pleural space for ongoing drainage. Catheter insertion is reported with the applicable catheter code.
How is bilateral aspiration reported?
Report bilateral performance with modifier 50. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
What should the procedure note document?
Record the indication, side treated, that the aspiration was performed without imaging guidance, and whether fluid was sampled or drained.
Are same-day preoperative and postoperative services included?
Yes. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
3,73032551,,Insertion of chest tube,A,,2.96,0.77,NA,0.77,,0.55,4.28,4.28,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,73132552,,Remove lung catheter,A,,2.47,2.88,,1.59,,0.36,5.71,4.42,0,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,73232553,,Ins mark thor for rt perq,A,,3.46,10.87,,0.71,,0.38,14.71,4.55,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,73332554,,Aspirate pleura w/o imaging,A,,1.77,5.82,,0.39,,0.21,7.80,2.37,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,73432555,,Aspirate pleura w/ imaging,A,,2.21,6.88,,0.38,,0.22,9.31,2.81,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,73532556,,Insert cath pleura w/o image,A,,2.44,22.37,,0.54,,0.37,25.18,3.35,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,73632557,,Insert cath pleura w/ image,A,,3.04,16.03,,0.50,,0.33,19.40,3.87,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5208102,IN,00,INDIANA,1.000,0.927,0.486
5305102,IA,00,IOWA,1.000,0.915,0.397
5405202,KS,00,KANSAS,1.000,0.904,0.504
5515102,KY,00,KENTUCKY,1.000,0.889,0.915
5607202,LA,01,NEW ORLEANS,1.000,0.941,1.136
5707202,LA,99,REST OF LOUISIANA,1.000,0.885,0.958
5814112,ME,03,SOUTHERN MAINE,1.000,0.991,0.631