No office rate
22532 is the thoracic counterpart in the lateral extracavitary fusion family. Use 22533 for the lumbar region.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
22533 Lumbar fusion Medicare reimbursement rates in New Jersey
Reports lumbar vertebral fusion using a lateral extracavitary approach, including limited disc-space preparation when it is performed as part of the fusion. Compare 22533 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in New Jersey.
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 22533 in New Jersey?
New Jersey has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1649.33–$1696.67
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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.
Spinal surgery
About 22533: Lumbar lateral extracavitary fusion
Reports lumbar vertebral fusion using a lateral extracavitary approach, including limited disc-space preparation when it is performed as part of the fusion.
This code describes fusion of a lumbar vertebral segment through a lateral extracavitary exposure. The surgeon reaches the spine through a lateral, posterior-side corridor and may remove a limited amount of disc tissue to prepare the space for fusion. That preparation is part of the service; the code is not for a discectomy performed to decompress neural structures. Spine surgeons typically perform the operation in a hospital operating room for a lumbar segment requiring stabilization and fusion.
Report 22533 for the lumbar level and use 22534 for each additional vertebral segment when applicable. The operative report should identify the lumbar level, approach, fusion work, and any additional segments. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeons are permitted; team surgery is not. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
CMS billing rules for 22533
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are 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 adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU24.17 · 52%
- Practice expense (office) RVU15.51 · 33%
- Malpractice RVU6.66 · 14%
793
Medicare services in 2024 · #3154 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.
22533 compared with similar codes
Office rates for New Jersey, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
22534 reports each additional vertebral segment; 22533 reports the initial lumbar segment.
No office rate
22558 describes lumbar interbody fusion through an anterior approach. 22533 is selected for the lateral extracavitary approach.
No office rate
22612 describes lumbar fusion using a posterior or posterolateral approach. 22533 is for the lateral extracavitary approach.
Compare 22533 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Northern Nj →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1696.67
Rest Of New Jersey →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1649.33
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22533 billing questions
When is 22534 reported with 22533?
22534 is the add-on code for each additional vertebral segment treated after the initial lumbar segment reported with 22533. Document each level treated.
How does 22533 differ from 22558?
22533 describes lumbar fusion through a lateral extracavitary approach. 22558 describes lumbar interbody fusion through an anterior approach.
Is limited discectomy included?
Limited disc removal to prepare the interspace for fusion is included. The code describes preparation other than discectomy performed for decompression.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral work?
No. The descriptor and anatomy make modifier 50 inappropriate for 22533.
What payment rules affect multiple procedures and surgical assistance?
When procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment and co-surgeons are permitted; team surgery is not.
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.
2,07722526,,Idet single level,N,+,5.70,51.76,,2.36,,0.60,58.06,8.66,9,010,0.10,0.80,0.10,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,07822527,,Idet 1 or more levels,N,+,2.95,44.50,,0.64,,0.33,47.78,3.92,9,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,07922532,,Arthrd lat xtrcvtry tq thrc,A,,25.34,17.77,NA,17.77,,8.75,51.86,51.86,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,08022533,,Arthrd lat xtrcvtry tq lmbr,A,,24.17,15.51,NA,15.51,,6.66,46.34,46.34,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,08122534,,Arthrd lat xtrcvtry tq ea ad,A,,5.84,1.94,NA,1.94,,1.91,9.69,9.69,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,08222548,,Arthrd ant toral/xoral c1-c2,A,,26.38,20.66,NA,20.66,,11.15,58.19,58.19,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
2,08322551,,Arthrd ant ntrbdy cervical,A,,24.38,15.43,NA,15.43,,8.24,48.05,48.05,0,090,0.10,0.69,0.21,2,0,2,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00