Billing code 33720: Heart defect repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Oklahoma
Reports surgical repair of a heart defect when the operative service matches billing code 33720’s defined procedure and the record supports the work performed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33720 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 33720 covers
billing code 33720 represents operative repair of a heart defect. The cardiothoracic surgeon corrects the structural abnormality during a surgical encounter; Medicare reported 2024 volume for this code was in the facility setting. The operative report should identify the defect and explain the repair performed, so the service can be matched to this code rather than another congenital heart repair code.
This major surgery has a 90-day global period, including 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% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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.
33720 in Oklahoma
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | Unavailable | $1,377.29 |
How the 33720 rate is calculated
Each of 33720’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 · 33720
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work26.58
26.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense10.59
10.59 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice6.69
6.69 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
43.8600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,464.96
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33720
33720 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33720
Heart defect repair
| 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) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| 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 · 33720
Heart defect repair
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
33720 without 51 · national facility
$1,464.96
Heart defect repair
33720-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$732.48
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%).
33720 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33702Heart defect repair
- Both short CMS labels refer broadly to heart-defect repair. Use the complete billing code descriptor and operative details to distinguish the defined procedures.
- 33710Heart defect repair
- This is another separately defined heart-defect repair code. The specific defect and repair documented in the operative report determine which descriptor fits.
- 33726Pulmonary vein repair
- 33726 identifies repair of pulmonary venous stenosis. Choose it when that specific lesion and repair are documented, rather than relying on the broader short label for 33720.
33720 billing questions
How do I choose 33720 over 33702 or 33710?
Match the documented defect and operative technique to the complete billing code descriptor for each code. The short CMS label alone is not enough to distinguish these heart-defect repair codes.
What documentation supports reporting 33720?
The operative report should identify the heart defect and describe the repair performed. That detail supports code selection among separately defined congenital heart procedures.
Can related postoperative visits be billed separately?
Related postoperative care during the 90-day global period is included. The day-before preoperative visit is also included.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, while team surgery is not permitted.
Should modifier 50 be used for bilateral repair?
No. The descriptor and anatomy make modifier 50 inappropriate for 33720.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures performed in that session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
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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