Billing code 33980: VAD removalMedicare rate & RVUs in Oklahoma
Removal of an implanted intracorporeal ventricular assist device supporting one ventricle, such as during heart transplantation or when the device is no longer needed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33980 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 33980 covers
billing code 33980 covers surgical removal of an implantable ventricular assist device located within the body and supporting a single ventricle. A cardiothoracic surgeon typically performs the procedure in an operating room. A common clinical situation is removal of the device during heart transplantation; removal may also be needed when the patient no longer requires mechanical support or the device must be taken out for a clinical reason.
Report the code for removal of the intracorporeal device, not for its initial placement or replacement of a pump while retaining the device. The operative report should establish the device’s implantable, intracorporeal configuration, single-ventricle support, and the removal performed. When multiple procedures occur during the same session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard multiple-procedure reduction to the others: they are paid at 50%.
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.
33980 in Oklahoma
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | Unavailable | $1,546.68 |
How the 33980 rate is calculated
Each of 33980’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 · 33980
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 32.66Practice expense 8.26Malpractice 8.07
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33980
The CMS indicators that decide how 33980 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33980
VAD removal
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| 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) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
33980 without 51 · national facility
$1,636.31
VAD removal
33980-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$818.16
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%).
33980 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
33980 vs 33979 vs 33977 vs 33982: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 33979Ventricular assist device
- 33979 is for insertion of an implantable intracorporeal device supporting one ventricle. Choose 33980 for removal of that type of device.
- 33977VAD removal
- 33977 describes removal of an extracorporeal device supporting one ventricle; 33980 is for an implantable intracorporeal device.
- 33982VAD pump replacement
- 33982 describes pump replacement while the intracorporeal device is retained, without cardiopulmonary bypass. 33980 describes device removal.
33980 billing questions
How does 33980 differ from 33977 or 33978?
33980 is for removal of an implantable intracorporeal device supporting one ventricle. Codes 33977 and 33978 describe removal of extracorporeal devices, with the applicable code depending on the device configuration.
Can 33980 be reported for pump replacement?
Use a pump-replacement code when the pump is replaced and the implanted device is retained. 33980 describes removal of the intracorporeal device, rather than replacement of a pump alone.
What documentation supports reporting 33980?
The operative report should identify the implanted intracorporeal device, its single-ventricle support, and the removal performed. Include the clinical circumstance prompting removal.
How does Medicare handle other procedures in the same session?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures in the same session are paid at 50%.
Is 33980 the code for placing an intracorporeal VAD?
No. Code 33979 describes insertion of an implantable intracorporeal ventricular assist device supporting one ventricle; 33980 describes 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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