Billing code 33851: Coarctation repairMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports surgical excision and repair of aortic coarctation using a left subclavian artery flap or prosthetic patch, typically for congenital narrowing.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33851 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 33851 covers
This code represents open surgery to remove a narrowed segment of the aorta and enlarge or reconstruct the vessel using tissue from the left subclavian artery or a prosthetic patch. Cardiothoracic surgeons commonly perform this repair for congenital aortic coarctation, often in a hospital operating room. The operative report should identify the coarctation and document the flap or patch technique used.
Choose this code when the documented repair uses one of these methods, rather than direct end-to-end reconstruction or an interposition graft. The procedure has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this repair. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; 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 33851 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $1,216.68 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $1,161.04 |
How the 33851 rate is calculated
Each of 33851’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 · 33851
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 21.43Practice expense 9.58Malpractice 5.39
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33851
33851 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33851
Coarctation repair
| 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) | 0.09/0.84/0.07 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 33851
Coarctation repair
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
33851 without 51 · national facility
$1,215.79
Coarctation repair
33851-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$607.90
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%).
33851 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
33851 vs 33840 vs 33845 vs 33852 vs 33897: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 33840Coarctation repair
- Choose 33840 when the excised aortic ends are joined directly. Choose 33851 when repair uses a left subclavian artery flap or prosthetic patch.
- 33845Coarctation repair
- 33845 describes coarctation excision with graft reconstruction; 33851 describes repair using a left subclavian artery flap or prosthetic patch.
- 33852Aortic arch repair
- 33852 is for repair of a hypoplastic aortic arch without bypass. It is not the coarctation excision and flap-or-patch repair described by 33851.
- 33897Aortic angioplasty
- 33897 is catheter-based angioplasty for native or recurrent coarctation. Code 33851 describes open surgical excision and repair.
33851 billing questions
How does this differ from 33840?
Use 33851 when the aortic repair uses a left subclavian artery flap or prosthetic patch. Code 33840 describes repair by direct anastomosis.
When should 33845 be considered instead?
Code 33845 describes coarctation excision with graft reconstruction. Distinguish that method from the subclavian flap or prosthetic patch documented for 33851.
Should modifier 50 be appended?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this repair.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation.
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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