Billing code 32553: Radiation markerMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Percutaneous, image-guided placement of markers in a thoracic lesion supports radiation treatment planning and is reported for each lesion treated.
Medicare pays $486.11–$530.23 for 32553 in the office in Oregon, from Rest Of Oregon to Portland. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 32553 covers
Code 32553 describes percutaneous placement of an interstitial marker, such as a fiducial, in a thoracic lesion to guide radiation treatment. An interventional radiologist, pulmonologist, or thoracic surgeon may place markers under imaging guidance, commonly for a lung tumor being planned for stereotactic radiation. Imaging guidance is part of the service described by this code.
Report one unit for each lesion receiving marker placement, and document the target lesion, percutaneous approach, imaging guidance, and placement performed. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. 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. The descriptor is not bilateral; modifier 50 is inappropriate. CMS permits assistant-at-surgery payment, but not co-surgeon or team-surgery billing.
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 32553 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $530.23 | $153.21 |
| Rest Of Oregon | $486.11 | $148.11 |
How the 32553 rate is calculated
Each of 32553’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 · 32553
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 3.46Practice expense 10.87Malpractice 0.38
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32553
The CMS indicators that decide how 32553 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 32553
Radiation marker
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is 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) | 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
32553 without 51 · national office
$491.33
Radiation marker
32553-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$245.67
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%).
32553 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
32553 vs 31626 vs 10035 vs 32555: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 31626Fiducial placement
- Use 31626 when marker placement is performed through a bronchoscope. Use 32553 for percutaneous placement through the chest wall.
- 10035Soft-tissue localization
- 10035 describes percutaneous placement of a soft-tissue localization device, generally for localization rather than radiation treatment guidance. Code 32553 is specific to interstitial devices placed for radiation guidance.
- 32555Thoracentesis
- 32555 is image-guided aspiration of pleural fluid. It treats a pleural fluid collection, not placement of a marker in a lesion for radiation guidance.
32553 billing questions
How does 32553 differ from bronchoscopic marker placement?
32553 is for percutaneous placement through the chest wall with imaging guidance. billing code 31626 describes marker placement by a bronchoscopic approach.
How many units should be reported for multiple lesions?
Report a unit for each lesion receiving marker placement. The procedure documentation should identify the treated lesion or lesions and the placement performed at each.
Is imaging guidance separately reported?
Imaging guidance is included in the service described by 32553. Do not report it separately for guidance used to perform that marker placement.
Should modifier 50 be used for markers placed on both sides?
No. The descriptor is not bilateral, and modifier 50 is inappropriate. Report the service by lesion treated.
Can an assistant-at-surgery or co-surgeon be billed?
CMS permits assistant-at-surgery payment for this code. Co-surgeon and team-surgery billing are not permitted.
What happens when 32553 is performed with another procedure?
For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% 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
Fee sheets
Put 32553 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →