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Open Chest Removal of Defibrillator Wires

California rates for HCPCS 33243

Removal of the wires that connect an implanted defibrillator to the heart, done by opening the chest rather than drawing them out through a vein. This route is chosen when the wires are scarred firmly in place and cannot be freed safely from inside the blood vessels. The battery unit itself is dealt with separately.

Rates data updated July 2026.

How much does Open Chest Removal of Defibrillator Wires cost?

$10,471

Typical facility fee. In California, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $10,471 for this service. Most negotiated rates run $6,918 to $14,125.

These are rates insurers have negotiated with providers, not the amount a patient is billed. What you owe depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Based on rates published by 9 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $10,471 · 10th to 90th $3,890 to $17,783Professionalmedian $1,445 · 10th to 90th $955 to $2,455
$100$500$2K$10Kfacility $10,471professional $1,445

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Each curve is scaled to its own total: facility and professional rates are different services, shown together to compare where they cluster. Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier
Aetna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$4,466.84
Median
$10,000.00
Typical High
$23,442.29
Anthem BCBS
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$6,309.57
Median
$10,715.19
Typical High
$17,782.79
Blue Shield
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$69.18
Median
$3,311.31
Typical High
$6,760.83
Cigna
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$12,022.64
Median
$15,488.17
Typical High
$25,703.96
Contra Costa Health
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$891.25
Median
$1,122.02
Typical High
$1,698.24
Kaiser Permanente
Setting
Professional
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,174.90
Median
$1,548.82
Typical High
$2,754.23
Lucent Health
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$54.95
Median
$56.23
Typical High
$8,317.64
Providence
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$1,445.44
Median
$1,862.09
Typical High
$3,162.28
United
Setting
Facility
Modifier
Global
Typical Low
$6,025.60
Median
$11,748.98
Typical High
$25,118.86

Where California sits

The same service costs 13.2 times more in South Carolina than in North Dakota. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Touch or drag across it to read any state, then open that state for its carriers and full range.

California· 5th of 49

$10,471

SC $17,378ND $1,318

Median negotiated rate in each state, from every insurer that publishes one. States where no insurer publishes a rate for this service are not shown.