Billing code 33983: VAD pump replacementMedicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports replacement of an implanted intracorporeal ventricular assist device pump when cardiopulmonary bypass is used during the exchange.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33983 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 33983 covers
This service covers exchanging the pump of an implanted intracorporeal ventricular assist device, with cardiopulmonary bypass used during the operation. A cardiothoracic surgeon typically performs the procedure in a hospital operating room. The patient already has an implanted VAD; this is pump replacement, not placement of a new VAD or replacement of an external pump. The bypass detail distinguishes this service from the corresponding intracorporeal pump replacement performed without bypass.
Select the code based on the device being replaced and whether cardiopulmonary bypass was used. The operative report should identify the implanted intracorporeal pump exchange and document bypass use. The replacement service describes the exchange; do not separately report removal of the pump being replaced as though it were an independent removal procedure. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces the others to 50%.
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 33983 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston | Unavailable | $2,175.86 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Unavailable | $2,065.19 |
How the 33983 rate is calculated
Each of 33983’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 · 33983
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work43.43
43.43 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense8.92
8.92 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice10.43
10.43 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
62.7800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$2,096.91
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33983
The CMS indicators that decide how 33983 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33983
VAD pump replacement
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
33983 without 51 · national facility
$2,096.91
VAD pump replacement
33983-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,048.46
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%).
33983 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33982VAD pump replacement
- Choose 33983 for intracorporeal pump replacement with cardiopulmonary bypass; choose 33982 for the corresponding replacement without bypass.
- 33981VAD pump replacement
- 33981 describes replacement of an external VAD pump. Code 33983 is for an implanted intracorporeal pump and includes the bypass distinction.
- 33979Ventricular assist device
- 33979 describes insertion of an intracorporeal VAD, not exchange of the pump in an already implanted device.
33983 billing questions
How does this differ from 33982?
Both describe replacement of an implanted intracorporeal VAD pump. Use 33983 when cardiopulmonary bypass is used; 33982 describes the exchange without bypass.
Can the pump removal be reported separately?
Do not report a separate removal code merely for taking out the pump being replaced; 33983 describes the pump exchange.
What documentation supports 33983?
The operative report should identify the intracorporeal VAD pump being exchanged and document use of cardiopulmonary bypass during the procedure.
How are other procedures paid when performed in the same session?
Under the CMS multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%.
Is 33983 for replacing an external VAD pump?
No. It is for an implanted intracorporeal pump; 33981 is the related code for replacement of an external VAD pump.
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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