Billing code 33982: VAD pump replacementMedicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports replacement of an implanted intracorporeal ventricular assist device pump when cardiopulmonary bypass is not used during the operation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33982 in Missouri.
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 33982 covers
This code describes operative replacement of the pump in an intracorporeal ventricular assist device (VAD), a form of mechanical circulatory support. It applies when the pump is implanted within the body and the replacement is performed without cardiopulmonary bypass. A cardiac surgeon typically performs the exchange in an operating room; the operative report should identify the pump being replaced and the bypass approach used.
Choose this code for an intracorporeal pump replacement without bypass, not for replacement of an external pump or an intracorporeal pump replacement performed with bypass. Documentation should establish that the service was a pump replacement, rather than initial VAD implantation or device removal alone. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS applies the standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 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 33982 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Unavailable | $1,759.05 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Unavailable | $1,769.72 |
| Rest Of Missouri | Unavailable | $1,738.69 |
How the 33982 rate is calculated
Each of 33982’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 · 33982
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 36.91Practice expense 7.57Malpractice 8.85
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33982
The CMS indicators that decide how 33982 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33982
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
33982 without 51 · national facility
$1,781.27
VAD pump replacement
33982-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$890.64
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%).
33982 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
33982 vs 33983 vs 33981 vs 33979 vs 33980: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 33983VAD pump replacement
- Both cover replacement of an intracorporeal VAD pump; the distinction is whether cardiopulmonary bypass is used.
- 33981VAD pump replacement
- Use 33981 for replacement of an external VAD pump. Code 33982 is for an intracorporeal pump replaced without bypass.
- 33979Ventricular assist device
- Code 33979 describes implantation of an intracorporeal VAD; 33982 describes replacement of an existing intracorporeal pump.
- 33980VAD removal
- Code 33980 is for intracorporeal VAD removal, not replacement of the pump.
33982 billing questions
How does this differ from 33983?
Both describe replacement of an intracorporeal VAD pump. Use 33982 when cardiopulmonary bypass is not used and 33983 when it is used.
How does this differ from 33981?
Code 33981 is for replacement of an external VAD pump. Code 33982 is for an intracorporeal pump replaced without cardiopulmonary bypass.
What documentation supports 33982?
The operative report should identify the intracorporeal VAD pump that was replaced and state whether cardiopulmonary bypass was used.
Can another procedure be reported in the same session?
When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and the others at 50% under the standard multiple procedure reduction.
Is 33982 for initial VAD implantation?
No. It describes replacement of an existing intracorporeal VAD pump; initial implantation is a different service.
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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