Billing code 97032: Electrical stimulationMedicare rate & RVUs in Washington
A therapist applies and manages electrical stimulation at one or more treatment areas during a timed session for a documented rehabilitation goal.
Medicare pays $15.04–$16.42 for 97032 in the office in Washington, from Rest Of Washington to Seattle (King Cnty). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 97032 covers
A physical or occupational therapist uses attended electrical stimulation to address a documented rehabilitation need, such as pain management or muscle activation. The clinician applies and manages the stimulation at the treatment area, rather than leaving the patient with an unattended device. This modality is commonly provided in outpatient rehabilitation settings and may be part of a broader therapy session.
Report one unit for each 15 minutes of the service, supported by documentation of the treatment time, area treated, stimulation provided, and its purpose or response. Distinguish the attended service from unattended electrical stimulation and from other modalities such as iontophoresis or ultrasound. CMS treats this as a therapy service, so a professional component modifier does not apply. For multiple therapy services on the same day, practice expense is reduced for the second and later therapy units.
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 97032 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | $15.04 | Unavailable |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $16.42 | Unavailable |
How the 97032 rate is calculated
Each of 97032’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 · 97032
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.25Practice expense 0.18Malpractice 0.01
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 97032
The CMS indicators that decide how 97032 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 97032
Electrical stimulation
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 5 | Therapy reduction: practice expense of the second and later units is reduced. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 7 | Therapy service: the split doesn’t apply. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier CQ · payment effect
With and without the modifier
97032 without CQ · national office
$14.70
Electrical stimulation
97032-CQ · Allowed amount unchanged
$14.70
Medicare cuts its own payment by 15% after the patient’s 20% coinsurance; the allowed amount stays the same. On $100 allowed: $20 coinsurance, then Medicare pays $68 instead of $80.
97032 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
97032 vs 97014 vs 97033 vs 97035 vs 97110: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 97014Electric stimulation therapy
- This code is for attended electrical stimulation. Code 97014 represents unattended stimulation; Medicare therapy claims commonly use G0283 for that service.
- 97033Iontophoresis
- Use 97033 for iontophoresis, not electrical stimulation. Both are timed modality services, but the treatment method differs.
- 97035Therapeutic ultrasound
- Use 97035 for ultrasound treatment. This code is for attended electrical stimulation.
- 97110Therapeutic exercise
- Code 97110 describes therapeutic exercise, not a modality. It may be reported alongside this code when a distinct skilled exercise service is performed and documented.
97032 billing questions
How does this differ from unattended electrical stimulation?
This code describes attended stimulation managed by the clinician. Unattended stimulation is a different service; Medicare therapy claims commonly use G0283 for it.
How many units are reported?
The code is reported in 15-minute units. Document the time spent providing the attended stimulation.
Can a professional component modifier be appended?
No. CMS identifies this as a therapy service for which the professional component modifier does not apply.
What documentation supports the service?
Record the treatment time, body area, stimulation performed, and the clinical purpose or patient response. The note should support that the service was attended.
What happens when multiple therapy units are provided on the same day?
CMS reduces practice expense for the second and later therapy units furnished that day.
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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