$4,196.88–$4,729.17
Both address percutaneous ablation of pulmonary tumors, but 32998 is for radiofrequency treatment and 32994 is for cryoablation.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
32998 Lung tumor ablation Medicare reimbursement rates in Pennsylvania
Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation reduces or destroys one or more pulmonary tumors, with imaging guidance included when performed. Compare 32998 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Pennsylvania.
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 32998 in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania 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
$2707.95–$3040.82
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
Facility setting
$374.57–$394.80
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.
Pulmonary procedures
About 32998: Percutaneous pulmonary tumor radiofrequency ablation
Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation reduces or destroys one or more pulmonary tumors, with imaging guidance included when performed.
Code 32998 covers percutaneous radiofrequency treatment intended to destroy or reduce one or more lung tumors. An interventional radiologist or thoracic specialist typically advances an RF probe through the chest wall into the target, often using CT or other imaging. It is performed in a procedural setting for selected patients with a primary lung tumor or pulmonary metastasis; imaging guidance, when performed, is included in the service.
Report this code for radiofrequency ablation, not cryoablation or a diagnostic needle biopsy. One service covers one or more tumors treated during the procedure; document the targets, laterality, percutaneous approach, and RF technique. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral treatment with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 32998
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is 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 procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU8.80 · 10%
- Practice expense (office) RVU77.68 · 89%
- Malpractice RVU1.02 · 1%
230
Medicare services in 2024 · #4201 by national volume
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.
32998 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Pennsylvania, from the same CMS release.
$747.14–$836.61
Code 32408 reports a percutaneous core needle biopsy of lung or mediastinal tissue for diagnosis; 32998 treats a pulmonary tumor by radiofrequency ablation.
32999
No office rateUnlisted px lungs & pleura
Use 32999 for an unlisted pulmonary procedure when no specific code describes the service; 32998 specifically describes percutaneous pulmonary tumor radiofrequency ablation.
Compare 32998 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
Metropolitan Philadelphia →
Office / nonfacility
$3040.82
Facility
$394.80
Rest Of Pennsylvania →
Office / nonfacility
$2707.95
Facility
$374.57
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32998 billing questions
When should 32998 be chosen instead of 32994?
Use 32998 for percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of pulmonary tumor tissue. Code 32994 describes the cryoablation method.
Can imaging guidance be billed separately?
Imaging guidance, when performed for the ablation, is included in 32998. Do not separately report guidance for that same service.
How should bilateral lung treatment be reported?
For bilateral treatment, report modifier 50. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
Does the number of tumors determine the units?
The code covers treatment of one or more pulmonary tumors. Document the treated targets and do not assign units solely by counting tumors.
What documentation supports reporting 32998?
Document the pulmonary tumor targets, laterality, percutaneous approach, use of radiofrequency, and imaging guidance when performed.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%.
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.
3,80832960,,Therapeutic pneumothorax,A,,1.79,2.08,,0.52,,0.15,4.02,2.46,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,80932994,,Ablate pulm tumor perq crybl,A,,8.80,126.26,,1.60,,1.00,136.06,11.40,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,81032997,,Total lung lavage,A,,7.13,1.27,NA,1.27,,0.59,8.99,8.99,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,81132998,,Ablate pulm tumor perq rf,A,,8.80,77.68,,1.58,,1.02,87.50,11.40,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,81232999,,Unlisted px lungs & pleura,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,1,1,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
3,8133300F,,Ajcc stage docd b/4 thxpy,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
3,81433016,,Pericardiocentesis w/imaging,A,,4.29,0.83,NA,0.83,,0.99,6.11,6.11,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00