Billing code 33894: Thoracic endograftMedicare rate & RVUs in Rhode Island
Reports endovascular repair of the descending thoracic aorta or arch with a branched endograft that incorporates one branch vessel.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33894 in Rhode Island.
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 33894 covers
This service repairs disease of the descending thoracic aorta or aortic arch by delivering a branched endograft through vascular access and positioning it to exclude the diseased aortic segment while preserving flow through one branch vessel. Vascular or cardiothoracic surgeons typically perform it in an operating room or hybrid endovascular suite for conditions such as thoracic aortic aneurysm or dissection involving an arch branch. The branch-preserving graft configuration distinguishes this procedure from standard thoracic endografting.
Report the code when the documented repair uses a branched endograft involving one branch vessel; the operative report should support the aortic treatment and branch configuration. Associated radiological supervision and interpretation are included in the procedure. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.
33894 in Rhode Island
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | Unavailable | $847.64 |
How the 33894 rate is calculated
Each of 33894’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 · 33894
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work17.81
17.81 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.32
3.32 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice4.26
4.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
25.3900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$848.05
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33894
The CMS indicators that decide how 33894 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33894
Thoracic endograft
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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
33894 without 51 · national facility
$848.05
Thoracic endograft
33894-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$424.03
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%).
33894 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33895Coarctation stent repair
- Choose 33894 when the branched endograft involves one branch vessel; 33895 describes the two-branch-vessel configuration.
- 33880Thoracic endovascular repair
- 33880 describes standard thoracic endograft repair without coverage of the left subclavian origin, rather than repair with a branched graft involving one branch vessel.
- 33881Thoracic endograft
- 33881 describes standard thoracic endograft repair involving coverage of the left subclavian origin; 33894 is selected for the one-branch branched-endograft configuration.
- 33882Thoracic endograft
- 33882 describes thoracic endovascular repair using a multiple-component system, not the one-branch branched-endograft service reported with 33894.
33894 billing questions
How is 33894 distinguished from 33895?
33894 is for a branched endograft repair involving one branch vessel. Use 33895 for the sibling configuration involving two branch vessels.
Are radiological supervision and interpretation separately reported?
No. The associated radiological supervision and interpretation are included in this repair.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply to this service, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
What supports reporting 33894?
The operative report should describe the descending thoracic aortic or arch repair and establish that the branched endograft involves one branch vessel.
How are other same-session procedures paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures performed in the same session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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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