CPT code 33973: Balloon device2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Virginia
Reports insertion of an intra-aortic balloon assist device for temporary circulatory support, with code selection guided by the documented insertion service.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33973 in Virginia.
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 33973 covers
An intra-aortic balloon assist device provides temporary circulatory support by counterpulsation. Placement may be needed for a patient with cardiogenic shock or inadequate cardiac output, including in an acute cardiac-care or post-cardiac-surgery setting. A cardiologist or cardiac surgeon typically performs the procedure in a hospital catheterization laboratory or operating room. The operative or procedure note should identify the balloon device, the insertion service performed, and the clinical reason for support.
Report this insertion code when the documented service matches its CPT definition; distinguish it from other balloon-device insertion codes by the specific procedure and approach documented. The service has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, Medicare pays the highest-valued procedure in full and reduces the others to 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery 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.
Where 33973 pays more and less in Virginia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Unavailable | $495.91 |
| Virginia | Unavailable | $435.20 |
How the 33973 rate is calculated
Each of 33973’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 · 33973
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work9.51
9.51 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.95
1.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.27
2.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
13.7300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$458.59
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33973
The CMS indicators that decide how 33973 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 33973
Balloon device
| 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) | 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
33973 without 51 · national facility
$458.59
Balloon device
33973-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$229.30
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%).
33973 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33967Balloon pump insertion
- 33967 identifies percutaneous insertion of an intra-aortic balloon assist device. Use the code whose CPT definition matches the documented insertion service.
- 33970Aortic assist device
- 33970 is another aortic circulation-assist insertion code. Distinguish it from 33973 by matching the documented procedure to the applicable CPT definition.
- 33974Balloon removal
- 33974 reports removal of an intra-aortic balloon device; 33973 concerns insertion.
33973 billing questions
How should this code be distinguished from 33967?
Both involve intra-aortic balloon support, but 33967 identifies percutaneous insertion. Select the code that matches the specific insertion service documented and the applicable CPT definition.
Can removal be reported with this insertion code?
Removal is represented by a separate code, such as 33974. Report removal only when it is performed and documented as a distinct service.
Is modifier 50 appropriate?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and the service's descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
How does Medicare handle other procedures performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50% when performed in the same session.
What should the procedure note support?
Document the clinical need for temporary circulatory support, the balloon device inserted, and the insertion service and approach performed so the selected code is supported.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery 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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