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32668 Thoracoscopy w/w resect diag

What 32668 is

CMS fee schedule short descriptor: Thoracoscopy w/w resect diag.

Full CPT long descriptions are licensed by the American Medical Association and are not published on this site; the short descriptor above is the one CMS prints in its own fee schedule file. See About CPT.

Medicare payment for 32668 (CY2026)

Work RVUPractice expense RVUMalpractice RVUTotalMedicare rate
Non-facility (office)2.930.590.734.25$141.95
Facility (hospital, ASC)2.930.590.734.25$141.95

National rates: total RVUs x the CY2026 conversion factor of 33.4009 (non-QP), before geographic adjustment. Actual Medicare payment is 80% of the rate shown after the deductible; the patient or secondary payer owes the 20% coinsurance.


Status: Active - payable under the Physician Fee Schedule. Global period: Add-on code: global period of the primary procedure applies.

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Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE)

Medicare caps 32668 at 2 units per date of service for practitioner claims (MAI 3 - date of service edit (clinical): units above the MUE may pay with documentation on appeal), rationale: Clinical: Data. Units above the cap are denied unless the edit's adjudication rules allow an appeal with documentation.

Billed with 32668? These codes are bundled into it

32668 is a Column 1 code in 142 active NCCI PTP edits. When one of these Column 2 codes is reported on the same date of service, it is denied as bundled - unless the edit's modifier indicator is 1 and documentation supports a distinct service with an NCCI-associated modifier.

Column 2 codeShort descriptionModifier indicator
00528Anes clsd ch mediast&thrc wo0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
00529Anes clsd ch mediast&thrc w/0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
00539Anes tracheobronchial rcnstj0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
00540Anes thoracotomy px nos0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
00541Anes thrcm px 1 lung vntj0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
0213TNjx paravert w/us cer/thor0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
0216TNjx paravert w/us lumb/sac0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
0596TTemp fml iu vlv-pmp 1st insj1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0597TTemp fml iu valve-pmp rplcmt1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0600TAblt ire 1+ o/t lv/prst8 prq1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0601TAbltj ire 1+tumors open1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0708TId ca immntx prep & 1st njx1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0709TId ca immntx each addl njx1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
11000Dbrdmt ecz/infected skin<10%1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
11001Dbrdmt ecz/infct skn ea addl1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
11004Dbrdmt skin xtrnl gent&per1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
11005Dbrdmt skin abdominal wall1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
11006Dbrdmt skin xtrnl gent per1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
11042Dbrdmt subq tis 1st 20sqcm/<1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
11043Dbrdmt musc&/fsca 1st 20/<1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
11044Dbrdmt bone 1st 20 sq cm/<1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
11045Dbrdmt subq tiss each addl1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
11046Dbrdmt musc&/fsca ea addl1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
11047Dbrdmt bone each addl1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
20101Expl pentrg wound chest1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
32551Insertion of chest tube1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
32556Insert cath pleura w/o image1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
32557Insert cath pleura w/ image1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
32560Treat pleurodesis w/agent0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
32561Lyse chest fibrin init day0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair

Showing 30 of 142 column 2 codes. Use the pair checker for any specific combination.

Data: CMS CY2026 Physician Fee Schedule RVU file (October release, RVU26D) and Medicare NCCI PTP practitioner edits v32.3 (2026 Q4). Verify against the official files before billing or contracting decisions.