~6,400
Median wRVUs / yr
Bronchoscopy, PFTs, ICU critical care, and outpatient E&M — the codes that drive pulmonary and critical care productivity, with 2026 CMS wRVU values.
Compensation and productivity benchmarks pulled from public physician surveys and the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.
The codes that drive the bulk of pulmonology & critical care billing, with current Work RVU values from the 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule. Use these as a baseline — locality (GPCI) and modifiers adjust the final payment.
| Code | Description | wRVU | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 99213 | Office visit, est. patient, low (20 min) | 1.30 | E&M |
| 99214 | Office visit, est. patient, moderate (30 min) | 1.92 | E&M |
| 99215 | Office visit, est. patient, high (40 min) | 2.80 | E&M |
| 99232 | Subsequent hospital care, moderate | 1.59 | E&M |
| 99233 | Subsequent hospital care, high | 2.40 | E&M |
| 99291 | Critical care, first 30-74 min | 4.50 | E&M |
| 99292 | Critical care, additional 30 min | 2.25 | E&M |
| 31622 | Bronchoscopy, diagnostic | 2.53 | Procedure |
| 31624 | Bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage | 2.63 | Procedure |
| 31628 | Bronchoscopy with transbronchial biopsy, single lobe | 3.55 | Procedure |
| 31629 | Bronchoscopy with transbronchial needle aspiration | 3.75 | Procedure |
| 94010 | Spirometry | 0.17 | Diagnostic |
| 94060 | Bronchodilator response evaluation | 0.22 | Diagnostic |
Source: 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule (CMS). Values reflect the national, unadjusted Work RVU.
Where pulmonology & critical care productivity falls across the percentile distribution. Most RVU-based contracts target the median (50th percentile); high-volume practices push into the 75th-90th range.
MGMA-aligned 2024 estimates. Verify with your group's data source for contract negotiations.
Typical total compensation ranges across a pulmonology & critical care career. Numbers blend salary, RVU productivity, and bonus components reported in physician surveys.
First 1-3 years out of training. Base-heavy contracts; productivity bonuses begin to ramp.
Years 4-10. RVU-based comp dominates as case volume settles into a steady pattern.
10+ years, partnership track, ASC ownership, or high-volume practice settings.
Ranges synthesized from Doximity 2024 and AMGA / MGMA-aligned compensation reports. Actual offers vary by region, practice setting, and case mix.
Most RVU tools were built for one type of day. RVU Tracker handles the mix of clinic, procedures, and inpatient work that actually shows up on a pulmonology & critical care schedule.
Save your most-used codes as quick-add buttons. Log a visit in seconds between patients.
Add multiple codes per encounter; the tracker sums correctly with MPPR awareness when relevant.
Tag clinic vs. procedure days and see productivity per session. Decide where to add capacity.
Every code ships with current Work RVU values. Year-over-year updates roll out automatically.
Set your wRVU threshold. The tracker shows monthly pace and projects year-end totals.
Plug in your conversion factor and see real-time earnings. Compare offers during contract review.
A few high-leverage details that quietly cost RVUs (and revenue) when missed.
On a given day, only one physician can bill 99291 for the same patient. If you and the cardiologist both round on a critical patient, decide who is the critical care physician of record — typically the one managing the active critical issue.
Diagnostic bronch (31622) is the base code; BAL (31624), TBBx (31628), and TBNA (31629) are billed in addition with appropriate modifiers. Document each component separately.
94010 is spirometry alone; 94060 (pre and post bronchodilator) pays more and is appropriate when bronchodilator response is clinically relevant. Don't default to 94010 when 94060 is supported.
Initial ventilator management (94002) and subsequent (94003) are time-based and bundled into critical care when 99291/99292 is billed. Don't double-bill; vent codes are for non-critical-care contexts.
2026 CMS data pre-loaded for every code. Designed for the cadence of a real pulmonology & critical care day.