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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01

33280 Stimulator removal Medicare reimbursement rates in New Mexico

Report removal of an implanted phrenic nerve stimulator pulse generator when the generator is taken out and its lead or leads remain in place. Compare 33280 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in New Mexico.

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 33280 in New Mexico?

New Mexico has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.

Office / nonfacility

No supported rate

Facility setting

$190.96

1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.

Payment area: New Mexico

One mapped payment locality.

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.

Find 33280 in your payment locality →

Cardiac device surgery

About 33280: Phrenic nerve stimulator generator removal

Report removal of an implanted phrenic nerve stimulator pulse generator when the generator is taken out and its lead or leads remain in place.

This procedure removes the pulse generator from its implanted pocket while leaving the phrenic nerve stimulator lead or leads in place. The device is used to stimulate the phrenic nerve, including for treatment of central sleep apnea. An electrophysiologist or another surgeon experienced with implanted cardiac devices may perform the removal in a surgical setting, such as a hospital or ambulatory surgery center.

Report 33280 when the operative documentation supports generator removal alone; removal of the complete system or removal and replacement of a component calls for a different code. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted.

CMS billing rules for 33280

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
Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
Co-surgeons
Co-surgeons not permitted.
Team surgery
Team surgery not permitted.

Where the value comes from

  • Work RVU2.96 · 51%
  • Practice expense (office) RVU2.09 · 36%
  • Malpractice RVU0.70 · 12%

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.

33280 compared with similar codes

Office rates for New Mexico, from the same CMS release.

33278

Stimulator removal

Complete system

No office rate

Choose 33280 for generator-only removal with leads retained. Code 33278 is for removal of the stimulator system.

33279

Lead removal

Transvenous electrode array

No office rate

Code 33279 addresses removal of the transvenous lead component; 33280 addresses removal of the pulse generator.

33287

Generator exchange

Phrenic nerve stimulator

No office rate

Use 33287 when the pulse generator is removed and replaced. Code 33280 describes removal without generator replacement.

33288

Lead exchange

Phrenic nerve stimulator lead

No office rate

Code 33288 is for removal and replacement of a lead. Code 33280 is for generator removal alone.

Compare 33280 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.

1 of 1 payment localities

Office and facility base rates · shared scale starting at $0

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How this local rate is calculated

Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 33280 in New Mexico.

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

3,903

Code
33280
Physician work
2.96
Practice expense
2.09
Malpractice
0.70

GPCI2026.csv

77

Locality
New Mexico
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
0.917
Malpractice
1.201
Facility calculation for 33280 in New Mexico
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work2.96× 1.0002.9600
Practice expense2.09× 0.9171.9165
Malpractice0.70× 1.2010.8407
Total RVUs5.7172
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, New Mexico$190.96

Values as parsed from CMS release RVU26D, effective 2026-10-01. The amount is rounded to the nearest cent only at the end.
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula

Facility

Facility calculation inputs
ComponentRVULocal GPCI
Work2.961
Practice expense2.090.917
Malpractice0.71.201

(2.96 × 1 + 2.09 × 0.917 + 0.7 × 1.201) × $33.4009 = $190.96

The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.

33280 billing questions

When should 33280 be chosen instead of 33278?

Use 33280 when the pulse generator is removed and the lead or leads stay in place. Code 33278 describes removal of the phrenic nerve stimulator system.

Can 33280 be reported when the generator is replaced?

No. Removal and replacement of the pulse generator is represented by 33287, rather than removal alone.

What documentation supports 33280?

The operative report should identify the pulse generator removal and clarify that the lead or leads were retained. Document the device and the clinical reason for removal.

Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral generator removal?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.

How are other procedures in the same session paid?

Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to a 50% reduction.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be billed for this procedure?

Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service. Co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted.

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.

RVUs for 33280PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 3,903 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for New MexicoGPCI2026.csv, line 77 (RVU26D)