CPT code 33968: Balloon removal2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports percutaneous removal of an intra-aortic balloon assist device after mechanical circulatory support is no longer needed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33968 in Massachusetts.
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 33968 covers
This service removes an intra-aortic balloon assist device through its percutaneous arterial access, typically after the patient’s hemodynamic status allows balloon-pump support to end. It is commonly performed in a hospital, such as an intensive care unit or cardiac catheterization setting, by a physician managing the patient’s cardiac support. The work centers on withdrawing the balloon catheter and managing the access site; it is distinct from removing an ECMO cannula or a ventricular assist device.
Report 33968 when the intra-aortic balloon device is removed percutaneously, rather than when it is inserted or removed through an open aortic approach. The record should identify the device, the percutaneous removal, and the clinical event ending support. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, and 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 33968 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston | Unavailable | $30.90 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Unavailable | $29.34 |
How the 33968 rate is calculated
Each of 33968’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 · 33968
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.62
0.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.13
0.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.14
0.14 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.8900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$29.73
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33968
The CMS indicators that decide how 33968 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33968
Balloon removal
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
33968 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33967Balloon pump insertion
- Use 33967 for percutaneous insertion of the intra-aortic balloon assist device; use 33968 when that device is removed.
- 33971Aortic assist removal
- Use 33971 when removal is performed through an open aortic approach. Code 33968 is for percutaneous removal.
- 33965ECMO cannula removal
- 33965 concerns removal of a peripheral ECMO/ECLS cannula. It does not describe removal of an intra-aortic balloon assist device.
33968 billing questions
How is 33968 different from 33967?
33968 reports percutaneous removal of an intra-aortic balloon assist device. 33967 reports its percutaneous insertion.
Can removal be reported when the device was inserted on an earlier date?
Yes. Report 33968 for the percutaneous removal service when support ends; it describes removal, not the earlier insertion.
Is modifier 50 appropriate?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 33968. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What same-day care is included?
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 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
Fee sheets
Put 33968 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →