Billing code 33120: Cardiac tumor excisionMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Reports surgical removal of a tumor within a heart chamber using cardiopulmonary bypass, commonly for an intracardiac mass such as an atrial myxoma.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33120 in Utah.
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 33120 covers
A cardiac surgeon removes a tumor located inside a heart chamber during an operation using cardiopulmonary bypass. An atrial myxoma is a typical example. The operation is generally performed in a hospital operating room; the operative report should establish the tumor’s intracardiac location, its removal, and use of bypass. This code distinguishes removal of an intracardiac tumor from excision of a tumor on the heart’s external surface.
Report the code when the documented procedure matches that service, not merely because a cardiac mass was evaluated or treated. Cardiopulmonary bypass is part of the coded service. CMS assigns 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 is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this procedure. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team-surgery billing 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.
33120 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $1,896.69 |
How the 33120 rate is calculated
Each of 33120’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 · 33120
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work37.49
37.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.70
11.70 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice9.24
9.24 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
58.4300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,951.61
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33120
33120 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33120
Cardiac tumor excision
| 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 · 33120
Cardiac tumor excision
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
33120 without 51 · national facility
$1,951.61
Cardiac tumor excision
33120-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$975.81
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%).
33120 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33130Cardiac tumor excision
- 33130 is for a tumor on the heart’s external surface. 33120 is for an intracardiac tumor removed using cardiopulmonary bypass.
- 33140Heart revascularization
- 33140 describes transmyocardial laser revascularization, not removal of a cardiac tumor.
- 33141Heart revascularization
- 33141 describes transmyocardial laser revascularization performed with another procedure; it does not describe tumor excision.
33120 billing questions
When should 33120 be chosen over 33130?
Use 33120 for a tumor located inside a heart chamber and removed using cardiopulmonary bypass. Code 33130 describes excision of a tumor on the heart’s external surface.
Is cardiopulmonary bypass separately reported with 33120?
Bypass is included in this service’s code definition. The operative report should document its use as part of the tumor excision.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this cardiac tumor excision.
How does the global period affect postoperative billing?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
What documentation supports assistant or co-surgeon billing?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team-surgery billing is 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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