Billing code 32110: Chest explorationMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Open-chest exploration and repair for a penetrating injury, such as a stab or gunshot wound, with or without bleeding control.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 32110 in Washington.
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 32110 covers
A surgeon opens the chest to assess and repair damage from a penetrating injury, such as a stab or gunshot wound. The operation may include repairing injured intrathoracic tissue and controlling hemorrhage. Thoracic and general surgeons typically perform this urgent procedure in a hospital operating room, often after trauma evaluation identifies a chest injury requiring operative treatment.
Report this code when the operative service includes exploration and repair of a penetrating chest wound; the operative report should establish the injury, the findings, and the repair performed. Exploration and hemorrhage control are part of the service described, not separate reasons to report this code more than once. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this service. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 32110 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $1,377.38 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $1,483.41 |
How the 32110 rate is calculated
Each of 32110’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 · 32110
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 24.65Practice expense 11.04Malpractice 6.10
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 32110
32110 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 32110
Chest exploration
| 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) | 0.10/0.76/0.14 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 32110
Chest exploration
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
32110 without 51 · national facility
$1,395.82
Chest exploration
32110-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$697.91
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%).
32110 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
32110 vs 32100 vs 32120 vs 32124: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 32100Chest exploration
- 32100 describes exploratory thoracotomy without the penetrating-wound repair included in 32110. The repair of a penetrating injury is the key distinction.
- 32120Chest re-exploration
- 32120 is used when a prior thoracotomy is reopened for re-exploration. 32110 addresses exploration and repair of a penetrating chest injury.
- 32124Thoracotomy
- 32124 addresses open intrapleural adhesiolysis. Choose 32110 when the operative service is repair of a penetrating wound.
32110 billing questions
When should 32110 be chosen over 32100?
Use 32110 when the thoracotomy includes exploration and repair of a penetrating chest wound. Use 32100 for exploratory thoracotomy when the service does not include that penetrating-wound repair.
Can exploration or bleeding control be reported separately?
Exploration and hemorrhage control are included in the penetrating-wound service represented by 32110. The operative report should document the wound and repair rather than treating those elements as separate services.
What does the 90-day global period include?
It includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. The period is tied to this major thoracotomy.
How are other procedures in the same session paid?
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.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
An assistant at surgery may be paid. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.
Should modifier 50 be appended for a wound on either side of the chest?
No. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this code because the descriptor and anatomy are not suited to bilateral adjustment.
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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