Billing code 33975: Ventricular assist deviceMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports surgical placement of an external ventricular assist system providing temporary support to both sides of the heart, commonly for severe cardiac failure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33975 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 33975 covers
This service covers surgical placement of an extracorporeal ventricular assist system configured to support both the right and left sides of the heart. A cardiac surgeon typically performs it in an operating room for severe cardiac failure, such as cardiogenic shock or postcardiotomy failure, when temporary mechanical circulatory support is needed. The system uses cannulae and an external pump to assist circulation; it is distinct from an implanted intracorporeal pump.
Select this code when the placed extracorporeal system provides biventricular support, rather than support of only one ventricle. The operative report should identify the device configuration, cannulation and pump placement, and the clinical need for support. When this and other procedures are performed in the same session, CMS applies the standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%.
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 33975 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | Unavailable | $1,157.66 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Unavailable | $1,117.68 |
How the 33975 rate is calculated
Each of 33975’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 · 33975
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 24.38Practice expense 4.87Malpractice 6.02
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33975
The CMS indicators that decide how 33975 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33975
Ventricular assist device
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| 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
33975 without 51 · national facility
$1,178.05
Ventricular assist device
33975-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$589.03
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%).
33975 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
33975 vs 33976 vs 33979 vs 33977 vs 33967: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 33976Ventricular assist device
- Use 33975 for extracorporeal support of both ventricles; 33976 identifies an extracorporeal system supporting one ventricle.
- 33979Ventricular assist device
- 33979 is for an intracorporeal ventricular assist device. This code describes an extracorporeal system.
- 33977VAD removal
- 33977 describes removal of an extracorporeal biventricular assist system, not its placement.
- 33967Balloon pump insertion
- 33967 describes percutaneous intra-aortic balloon assist device insertion, not surgical placement of an extracorporeal biventricular pump system.
33975 billing questions
How does this differ from 33976?
This code is for an extracorporeal system supporting both ventricles. Use 33976 when the extracorporeal device supports a single ventricle.
Does biventricular support mean reporting two units?
The defining distinction is the device configuration: support of both sides of the heart. Document that configuration rather than counting each ventricle as a separate service.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The operative report should describe placement of the extracorporeal pump system, the cannulation and support configuration, and the need for biventricular assistance.
How does CMS reduce payment when other procedures are performed?
For procedures performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and the others at 50% under the standard 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
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