Billing code 33016: PericardiocentesisMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports needle drainage of pericardial fluid, with imaging guidance included when performed, for an effusion or cardiac tamponade.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33016 in Texas.
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 33016 covers
A clinician accesses the pericardial space with a needle to aspirate fluid, often to relieve pressure from an effusion or tamponade and, when indicated, obtain fluid for analysis. Cardiologists and other clinicians experienced in the procedure commonly perform it in a hospital, such as in a catheterization laboratory or intensive care unit. Imaging guidance is included when used. This code fits pericardiocentesis rather than drainage that leaves an indwelling catheter in place.
Document the clinical indication, pericardial access and aspiration, and imaging used. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and 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.
Where 33016 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Unavailable | $202.20 |
| Beaumont | Unavailable | $199.24 |
| Brazoria | Unavailable | $197.70 |
| Dallas | Unavailable | $200.56 |
| Fort Worth | Unavailable | $200.72 |
| Galveston | Unavailable | $199.34 |
| Houston | Unavailable | $217.46 |
| Rest Of Texas | Unavailable | $199.46 |
How the 33016 rate is calculated
Each of 33016’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 · 33016
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 4.29Practice expense 0.83Malpractice 0.99
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33016
The CMS indicators that decide how 33016 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33016
Pericardiocentesis
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| 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
33016 without 51 · national facility
$204.08
Pericardiocentesis
33016-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$102.04
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%).
33016 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
33016 vs 33017 vs 33018 vs 33025: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 33017Pericardial drainage
- Choose 33017 when percutaneous drainage includes placement of an indwelling catheter in a patient age 6 or older without congenital cardiac anomaly; 33016 reports pericardiocentesis.
- 33018Pericardial drainage
- Choose 33018 for indwelling-catheter drainage in a patient age 5 or younger or with a congenital cardiac anomaly. 33016 reports pericardiocentesis instead.
- 33025Pericardial window
- 33025 describes surgical creation of a pericardial window for drainage; 33016 is needle access and aspiration.
33016 billing questions
How does 33016 differ from 33017 or 33018?
33016 is for pericardiocentesis without the indwelling catheter service described by 33017 and 33018. Those codes distinguish patient age and congenital cardiac anomaly status.
Can imaging guidance be billed separately?
Imaging guidance, when performed for the pericardiocentesis, is included in 33016. Document the guidance used as part of the procedure.
Does 33016 have a global period?
Yes. It has a 0-day global period, and same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
Can modifier 50 or an assistant-at-surgery modifier be reported?
Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for 33016.
How does CMS handle other procedures performed in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in the same session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted for 33016.
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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