No office rate
32100 is for open chest exploration. Use 32124 when the operative work includes releasing intrathoracic adhesions, with or without limited decortication.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
32124 Thoracotomy Medicare reimbursement rates in Ohio
Reports an open chest operation to release intrathoracic adhesions, with limited decortication when performed, rather than exploration alone. Compare 32124 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Ohio.
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 32124 in Ohio?
Ohio 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
$876.56
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Ohio
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.
Thoracic surgery
About 32124: Open thoracotomy with adhesion lysis
Reports an open chest operation to release intrathoracic adhesions, with limited decortication when performed, rather than exploration alone.
A thoracic surgeon performs an open thoracotomy to release adhesions within the chest, such as fibrous bands that tether the lung or pleural surfaces. The operation may include limited decortication as part of freeing the affected structures. This service is generally performed in a hospital operating room when the surgeon needs open access to address the adhesions; it is distinct from a thoracoscopic approach.
Select this code when the operative work includes adhesion lysis, not simply inspection or exploration of the chest. The operative report should identify the adhesions, the structures involved, and the work performed; document any limited decortication. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 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 multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 32124
- 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 paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU15.06 · 56%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.12 · 30%
- Malpractice RVU3.74 · 14%
340
Medicare services in 2024 · #3884 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.
32124 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Ohio, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
32120 identifies chest re-exploration. Distinguish it from 32124 by the documented operative service, particularly whether adhesion lysis is performed.
No office rate
32651 describes a thoracoscopic procedure involving partial pulmonary decortication. The operative approach is the key distinction from this open thoracotomy code.
Compare 32124 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
Ohio →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$876.56
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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 32124 in Ohio.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
3,693
- Code
- 32124
- Physician work
- 15.06
- Practice expense
- 8.12
- Malpractice
- 3.74
GPCI2026.csv
85
- Locality
- Ohio
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.913
- Malpractice
- 1.008
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 15.06 | × 1.000 | 15.0600 |
| Practice expense | 8.12 | × 0.913 | 7.4136 |
| Malpractice | 3.74 | × 1.008 | 3.7699 |
| Total RVUs | 26.2435 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Ohio$876.56
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 15.06 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 8.12 | 0.913 |
| Malpractice | 3.74 | 1.008 |
(15.06 × 1 + 8.12 × 0.913 + 3.74 × 1.008) × $33.4009 = $876.56
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.
32124 billing questions
How does this differ from 32100?
32100 describes open chest exploration. Report 32124 when the operation includes releasing intrathoracic adhesions, with limited decortication if performed.
When is 32120 a better choice?
32120 describes re-exploration of the chest. Choose based on the work documented: re-exploration versus an operation that includes lysis of adhesions.
Can limited decortication be included?
Yes. Limited decortication may be part of the adhesion-lysis operation; document the extent and work in the operative report.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
How are other same-session procedures paid?
Under the standard multiple procedure rule, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the reduction. The 90-day global period includes related postoperative care.
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.
3,6903210F,,Grp a strep test performed,M,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,69132110,,Explore/repair chest,A,,24.65,11.04,NA,11.04,,6.10,41.79,41.79,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,69232120,,Re-exploration of chest,A,,14.03,7.90,NA,7.90,,3.49,25.42,25.42,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,69332124,,Explore chest free adhesions,A,,15.06,8.12,NA,8.12,,3.74,26.92,26.92,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,69432140,,Removal of lung lesion(s),A,,16.24,8.28,NA,8.28,,4.08,28.60,28.60,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,69532141,,Remove/treat lung lesions,A,,26.50,9.84,NA,9.84,,6.58,42.92,42.92,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,69632150,,Removal of lung lesion(s),A,,16.40,8.73,NA,8.73,,4.08,29.21,29.21,0,090,0.10,0.76,0.14,2,0,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8213282,NY,99,REST OF NEW YORK,1.000,0.950,0.703
8311502,NC,00,NORTH CAROLINA,1.000,0.933,0.639
8403302,ND,01,NORTH DAKOTA**,1.000,1.000,0.406
8515202,OH,00,OHIO,1.000,0.913,1.008
8604312,OK,00,OKLAHOMA,1.000,0.893,0.777
8702302,OR,01,PORTLAND,1.016,1.111,0.744
8802302,OR,99,REST OF OREGON,1.000,0.996,0.703