No office rate
33234 is for transvenous pacemaker electrode removal in a single-lead system. Use 33236 when the electrode(s) are removed through thoracotomy.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
33236 Lead removal Medicare reimbursement rates in Oregon
Report this service when a surgeon removes permanent pacemaker electrode(s) through a thoracotomy rather than by a transvenous approach. Compare 33236 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Oregon.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 33236 in Oregon?
Oregon has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$747.72–$788.84
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Cardiac device surgery
About 33236: Pacemaker electrode removal by thoracotomy
Report this service when a surgeon removes permanent pacemaker electrode(s) through a thoracotomy rather than by a transvenous approach.
This service covers surgical removal of permanent pacemaker electrode(s) through an incision into the chest. It is generally performed by a cardiac or cardiothoracic surgeon when the lead is removed through an open chest approach, such as removal of an epicardial lead. The operative report should establish the thoracotomy approach and identify the pacemaker electrode(s) removed.
Choose this code for electrode removal alone; when the pacemaker pulse generator and electrode(s) are removed through thoracotomy, compare the service with 33237. Transvenous pacemaker lead extraction is represented by different codes. The service has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. In a session with multiple procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity. Co-surgeons are permitted; team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 33236
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery is paid only with documentation of medical necessity.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU12.41 · 53%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.92 · 34%
- Malpractice RVU2.97 · 13%
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.
33236 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Oregon, from the same CMS release.
No office rate
33235 covers transvenous electrode removal for a dual-lead pacemaker system. The thoracotomy approach distinguishes 33236.
No office rate
33237 includes removal of the pacemaker pulse generator along with electrode(s) through thoracotomy; 33236 describes electrode removal through thoracotomy.
No office rate
33243 describes thoracotomy removal of implantable defibrillator electrode(s). This code is for permanent pacemaker electrode(s).
Compare 33236 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
2 of 2 payment localities
Portland →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$788.84
Rest Of Oregon →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$747.72
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33236 billing questions
How does this differ from 33234 or 33235?
This code describes pacemaker electrode removal through thoracotomy. Codes 33234 and 33235 describe transvenous removal, with the applicable code depending on the lead system.
When should I compare this with 33237?
Use 33236 for electrode removal through thoracotomy without removal of the pulse generator. Compare 33237 when the generator and electrode(s) are removed through thoracotomy.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should identify the permanent pacemaker electrode(s) removed and document that removal was performed through thoracotomy.
Can an assistant-at-surgery be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is available only when the record documents medical necessity for the assistant.
Can two surgeons report this service?
Co-surgeons are permitted. Team-surgery billing is not permitted for this code.
How does the global period affect postoperative care?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
3,86233233,,Removal of pm generator,A,,3.06,2.58,NA,2.58,,0.72,6.36,6.36,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,86333234,,Removal of pacemaker system,A,,7.47,3.62,NA,3.62,,1.76,12.85,12.85,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,86433235,,Removal pacemaker electrode,A,,9.65,5.07,NA,5.07,,2.28,17.00,17.00,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,86533236,,Remove electrode/thoracotomy,A,,12.41,7.92,NA,7.92,,2.97,23.30,23.30,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,0,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,86633237,,Remove electrode/thoracotomy,A,,13.49,8.15,NA,8.15,,3.22,24.86,24.86,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,0,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,86733238,,Remove electrode/thoracotomy,A,,15.02,9.44,NA,9.44,,3.60,28.06,28.06,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,0,2,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,8683323F,,Clin node stgng docdb/4 surg,I,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00