CPT 33016: Percutaneous Pericardial Drainage (Pericardiocentesis)
Medicare pays $204 and commercial payers pay $629 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 33016 describes pericardiocentesis — percutaneous needle drainage of fluid from the pericardial space, with imaging guidance included when performed; this is an image-guided therapeutic percutaneous pericardial drainage procedure typically performed in an inpatient or interventional radiology/cardiac catheterization suite or other monitored procedural area for patients with pericardial effusion or suspected cardiac tamponade.
For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders, Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders, Intravenous Anesthetics for the Treatment of Chronic Pain and Psychiatric or Substance Use Disorders.
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Medicare reimbursement for CPT 33016 centers around a mean of $204.50, substantially lower than BUCA’s commercial average of $629.40—a difference of $424.90 that highlights a meaningful gap between federal and commercial pricing for this service. This gap reflects Medicare’s lower average relative to a commercial aggregator and helps contextualize where commercial rates sit versus government payment levels.
Dispersion (P75 minus P25) varies notably across payers: Blue Cross Blue Shield shows the widest interquartile spread at $516.80 ($1,016.80 - $500.20), while Aetna is one of the tightest with a spread of $97.40 ($347.60 - $250.20). UnitedHealth Group’s spread is $262.30, Cigna’s is $245.80, and BUCA’s is $396.50—these differences indicate where commercial reimbursement is more variable versus more consistent.