32100 Chest exploration Medicare reimbursement rates in Mississippi

A surgeon opens the chest to inspect the intrathoracic space directly when diagnostic evaluation or operative findings call for exploration. The service is generally performed in a hospital operating room, such as when the surgeon must assess an uncertain chest finding that cannot be resolved through a less invasive approach. The operative report should identify the reason for exploration, the structures examined, and the findings. When the operation instead includes a specific repair, removal, or other defined thoracic procedure, select the code that describes that work.

Report this code for the open exploration itself, with documentation supporting why direct inspection was needed and what was done. Medicare assigns 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. Do not append modifier 50. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be allowed; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.