Billing code 33522: Coronary bypassMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Reports the venous-graft portion of coronary bypass surgery when five venous grafts are used along with one or more arterial grafts.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33522 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 33522 covers
This add-on code represents the venous-graft portion of coronary artery bypass grafting when five venous grafts are placed along with arterial grafting. A cardiothoracic surgeon typically performs the operation in a hospital operating room, using conduits such as saphenous vein to bypass obstructed coronary arteries. The code counts the venous grafts; it does not describe the arterial graft count or the total number of coronary targets by itself.
Report 33522 with the appropriate primary arterial CABG code, selected by the number of arterial grafts. The operative report should identify the conduits used and document the five venous grafts, along with the arterial grafting. Do not report 33522 as a stand-alone service: CMS treats it as an add-on billed with a primary procedure, with payment included within that procedure’s global period.
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.
33522 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | Unavailable | $648.31 |
How the 33522 rate is calculated
Each of 33522’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 · 33522
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work13.79
13.79 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.74
2.74 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.39
3.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
19.9200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$665.35
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33522
The CMS indicators that decide how 33522 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33522
Coronary bypass
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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 80 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
33522 without 80 · national facility
$665.35
Coronary bypass
33522-80 · Assistant: 16%
$106.46
A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.
33522 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33521CABG grafting
- Use 33521 when the mixed arterial-and-venous CABG includes four venous grafts; 33522 represents five.
- 33523CABG grafting
- Use 33523 for six or more venous grafts in mixed arterial-and-venous CABG; 33522 represents five.
- 33514Coronary bypass
- 33514 is the five-venous-graft tier for vein-only CABG. Use 33522 when arterial grafting is also performed.
- 33536CABG
- 33536 reports the arterial CABG portion when four or more arterial grafts are used. It does not replace 33522 when five venous grafts are also placed.
33522 billing questions
Does five refer to venous grafts or total grafts?
It refers to five venous grafts. The arterial graft count is represented by the primary arterial CABG code.
Which primary code is reported with 33522?
Report it with the arterial CABG code that matches the arterial graft count: 33533, 33534, 33535, or 33536.
Can 33522 be reported by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with a primary procedure.
How does 33522 differ from 33514?
33522 describes five venous grafts in a CABG that also includes arterial grafting. 33514 describes five venous grafts for vein-only CABG.
Should 33522 be reported once for each venous graft?
No. Select the code by the number of venous grafts in the case; 33522 represents the five-graft tier.
What documentation supports 33522?
The operative report should identify the venous and arterial conduits and support that five venous grafts were used.
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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