Find policies, billing codes, payers, states, and providers
CPT 32100: Thoracotomy for Exploratory Examination of Chest
CPT code 32100 designates an open thoracotomy performed to explore the chest and inspect intrathoracic structures for abnormalities. This exploratory thoracotomy is a key diagnostic and sometimes therapeutic surgical procedure in thoracic surgery, used when less invasive diagnostics are insufficient or when immediate surgical management may be required. Nationally, the code is relevant for hospitals and surgical practices managing complex pulmonary, pleural, and traumatic chest conditions.
Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for the procedure, comparisons to related chest drainage and thoracoscopic procedures, and a summary of common billing modifiers and associated taxonomies. The publication also outlines typical settings of care and the primary ICD-10 diagnoses that commonly justify use of this code, such as pneumothorax, pleural effusion, traumatic chest injury, and suspected or confirmed lung neoplasm.
This summary provides clinicians, coding staff, and revenue cycle professionals with an understanding of when CPT code 32100 is used, the clinical scenarios that support its application, and related procedure codes that may appear on the same service line. Data not available in the input: detailed utilization benchmarks and payer-specific reimbursement rates.
Customize your policy alerts
Sign up for cpt 32100 policy alerts
Get alerted when payer policies referencing 32100 are released or updated.
Monitor payer policy activity
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 32100 describes a thoracotomy for exploration, a surgical incision into the chest cavity to examine anatomic structures and identify abnormalities. This procedure is typically performed as an open surgical exploratory intervention to evaluate intrathoracic pathology when imaging or less invasive techniques are inconclusive.
Service Type: Surgical – Thoracic exploratory procedure
Typical Site of Service: Operating room or major surgical suite, with inpatient postoperative care common following the procedure.
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Commercial averages sit above Medicare for CPT 32100: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealth Group, Aetna and BUCA all post mean rates higher than Medicare’s $783.9, with BUCA’s average commercial mean of $1,011.70 notably above Medicare. This gap highlights a common pattern where commercial payers reimburse substantially more than the Medicare baseline for this procedure.
Dispersion varies: Blue Cross Blue Shield’s interquartile range (IQR) is $583.40 (P75 $1,150.10 minus P25 $566.70), and UnitedHealth Group’s IQR is $579.70 (P75 $1,778.40 minus P25 $919.70), both indicating wider variability. Aetna is tighter with an IQR of $544.00 (P75 $859.00 minus P25 $131.50). BUCA’s IQR is $696.00 (P75 $1,305.90 minus P25 $608.90) and Cigna’s IQR is $825.80 (P75 $1,747.80 minus P25 $902.40), making Cigna the widest among the listed payers.