Billing code 32501: Bronchial repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Add-on reporting for bronchial repair or reconstruction performed as part of a larger thoracic operation, rather than as a standalone service.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 32501 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 32501 covers
This add-on represents repair or reconstruction of a bronchus performed during a larger thoracic operation. It is typically performed by a thoracic surgeon in the operating room when the operative plan requires bronchial reconstruction in addition to the primary procedure. The work concerns the airway itself, not removal of lung tissue alone; a wedge resection or other lung resection does not by itself support this service.
Report 32501 only with a qualifying primary procedure, and document the bronchial work separately enough to show what was repaired or reconstructed and why it was part of the operation. The operative report should identify the bronchus and describe the reconstruction, along with the primary procedure. CMS classifies this as an add-on code: it is billed only with a primary procedure and payment falls within that procedure’s global period.
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 32501 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $216.72 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $209.25 |
How the 32501 rate is calculated
Each of 32501’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 · 32501
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.56
4.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.90
0.90 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.15
1.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.6100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$220.78
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32501
The CMS indicators that decide how 32501 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 32501
Bronchial repair
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 80 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
32501 without 80 · national facility
$220.78
Bronchial repair
32501-80 · Assistant: 16%
$35.32
A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.
32501 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 32486Sleeve lobectomy
- Use 32486 for a sleeve lobectomy that includes bronchial resection and reconstruction. Code 32501 represents additional bronchial repair or reconstruction reported with a primary procedure.
- 32482Bilobectomy
- 32482 reports removal of a lung lobe. It does not by itself describe separate bronchial repair or reconstruction.
- 32505Lung wedge resection
- 32505 describes a wedge resection of lung tissue. It is not the code for reconstructing a bronchus.
32501 billing questions
Can 32501 be billed by itself?
No. CMS identifies it as an add-on code, so it must be reported with a primary procedure.
Does a lung resection alone support 32501?
No. The documentation must show bronchial repair or reconstruction in addition to the primary operation; lung tissue removal alone is not this service.
What should the operative note document?
Identify the bronchus and describe the repair or reconstruction, its medical or operative purpose, and the primary procedure performed during the same operation.
How does the global period affect payment?
CMS pays this add-on within the global period of the primary procedure. It is not paid as a standalone service.
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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