Billing code 32160: Open-chest massageMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports emergency thoracotomy with direct cardiac massage, typically during resuscitation when a patient in cardiac arrest requires open-chest intervention.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 32160 in Oregon.
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 32160 covers
This emergency procedure opens the chest to allow the surgeon to massage the heart directly. It is generally performed by a thoracic or trauma surgeon in a hospital setting, such as an emergency department or operating room, during resuscitation for cardiac arrest. A familiar situation is resuscitative thoracotomy after severe penetrating chest trauma when the team needs direct access to the heart.
Report the code when the operative record supports both thoracotomy and direct cardiac massage; routine external chest compressions alone are not this service. Document the arrest or resuscitation indication, the thoracotomy, and the open-chest cardiac intervention. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur 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 for this procedure. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires 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.
Where 32160 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $779.43 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $740.51 |
How the 32160 rate is calculated
Each of 32160’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 · 32160
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 12.77Practice expense 7.25Malpractice 3.10
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32160
32160 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 32160
Open-chest massage
| 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) | 0.10/0.76/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 32160
Open-chest massage
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
32160 without 51 · national facility
$772.23
Open-chest massage
32160-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$386.12
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%).
32160 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
32160 vs 32100 vs 32110 vs 32120: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 32100Chest exploration
- 32100 describes thoracotomy for chest exploration. Choose 32160 when the surgeon opens the chest and performs direct cardiac massage.
- 32110Chest exploration
- 32110 addresses thoracotomy with exploration and repair. This code is specific to thoracotomy with direct cardiac massage during resuscitation.
- 32120Chest re-exploration
- 32120 represents a different thoracotomy procedure. It is not a substitute when the documented intervention is open-chest cardiac massage.
32160 billing questions
How is this different from a chest exploration code?
Use this code when the surgeon performs direct cardiac massage through a thoracotomy. A thoracotomy for exploration or repair without open-chest massage has a different procedural objective.
Does the code include the thoracotomy incision?
Yes. The thoracotomy provides access for the direct cardiac massage described by the service; do not separately report the access incision.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this single thoracic resuscitation procedure.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the resuscitation indication, the thoracotomy, and the direct cardiac massage. External chest compressions alone do not support this code.
How do the global and multiple-procedure rules affect payment?
The 90-day global period includes 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 the others are subject to the standard 50% 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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