Billing code 33273: S-ICD electrodeMedicare rate & RVUs in Oklahoma
Reports surgical repositioning of an existing subcutaneous implantable defibrillator electrode when its location needs revision, rather than electrode insertion or device removal.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33273 in Oklahoma.
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 33273 covers
This procedure revises the position of an electrode already implanted beneath the skin as part of a subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) system. It is typically performed by a cardiac electrophysiologist or cardiac surgeon in a hospital operating room or electrophysiology setting. The electrode remains subcutaneous; this is not repositioning of a transvenous lead inside the heart or blood vessels. A common clinical reason is electrode migration or a position that requires correction.
Report 33273 when the operative service moves the existing S-ICD electrode to a revised position. Documentation should identify the implanted electrode, describe why repositioning was needed, and record the work performed and resulting position. The code has 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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.
33273 in Oklahoma
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | Unavailable | $337.49 |
How the 33273 rate is calculated
Each of 33273’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 · 33273
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work6.34
6.34 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.91
2.91 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.50
1.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
10.7500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$359.06
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33273
33273 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33273
S-ICD electrode
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.84/0.07 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 33273
S-ICD electrode
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
33273 without 51 · national facility
$359.06
S-ICD electrode
33273-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$179.53
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%).
33273 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33270Defibrillator implant
- Use 33270 for insertion or replacement of the S-ICD system. Use 33273 when the service revises the position of an electrode that is already implanted.
- 33271Defibrillator electrode
- 33271 describes insertion of an S-ICD electrode. It does not describe moving an existing electrode to a revised position.
- 33272Defibrillator removal
- 33272 describes removal of the S-ICD pulse generator; 33273 describes repositioning the implanted electrode.
33273 billing questions
When should 33273 be reported instead of 33271?
Use 33273 when an electrode that is already implanted is repositioned. Code 33271 describes insertion of an S-ICD electrode, not revision of its position.
How does 33273 differ from 33272?
33273 reports repositioning the existing S-ICD electrode. Code 33272 describes removal of the S-ICD pulse generator.
Can modifier 50 be used for repositioning two sides?
No. CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this service, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for the S-ICD electrode procedure.
What postoperative care is included in the global period?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care.
What documentation supports reporting 33273?
Document that the electrode was previously implanted, why its position required revision, and the repositioning performed. The record should distinguish repositioning from insertion or removal.
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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