Billing code 33516: Coronary bypassMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports coronary artery bypass surgery using six or more venous grafts, without an arterial graft counted as part of this venous-only code.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 33516 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 33516 covers
A cardiac surgeon uses this code for coronary artery bypass surgery in which six or more venous grafts are placed to route blood around obstructed coronary arteries. A common setting is an operating room during surgery for multivessel coronary artery disease. The surgeon’s operative report should identify the conduits used and the number of venous bypass grafts performed; the count is not the number of veins harvested.
Select this code for six or more venous grafts when the bypass uses venous grafts only. When arterial and venous grafts are both used, report the appropriate arterial CABG primary code with the corresponding venous-graft add-on code instead. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery. For multiple procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 33516 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | Unavailable | $2,495.87 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Unavailable | $2,669.82 |
How the 33516 rate is calculated
Each of 33516’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 · 33516
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 48.52Practice expense 15.86Malpractice 11.66
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 33516
33516 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 33516
Coronary bypass
| 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) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| 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 · 33516
Coronary bypass
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
33516 without 51 · national facility
$2,539.80
Coronary bypass
33516-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$1,269.90
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%).
33516 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
33516 vs 33514 vs 33523 vs 33533 vs 33508: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 33514Coronary bypass
- Use 33514 for five venous grafts; use 33516 when the venous graft count is six or more.
- 33523CABG grafting
- 33523 is the venous-graft add-on for six or more grafts when arterial bypass grafting is also performed; 33516 represents venous-only grafting.
- 33533Arterial CABG
- 33533 reports arterial-only CABG with a single arterial graft. It does not represent six or more venous grafts.
- 33508Vein harvest
- 33508 identifies endoscopic vein harvesting, not the coronary bypass grafting operation reported with 33516.
33516 billing questions
How many grafts qualify for this code?
Report it when the operation places six or more venous bypass grafts. Use the operative report to support the graft count.
Should this code be used when arterial and venous grafts are both performed?
No. For a combined arterial-and-venous bypass, report the appropriate arterial CABG primary code with the venous-graft add-on code matching the venous graft count.
Can vein harvesting be reported with the bypass?
Endoscopic vein harvesting may be reported with CABG when that service is performed and separately reportable. The bypass code itself represents the grafting operation, not the harvest technique.
Can modifier 50 be used?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
How does the multiple-procedure payment rule affect this code?
When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and other procedures at 50%.
What does the global period include, and may an assistant be reported?
The 90-day global includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during the 90 days after surgery. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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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