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CPT code 35500: Vein harvest, upper extremity conduit2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports harvesting upper extremity vein for use as a graft conduit during an arterial bypass, as an add-on to the primary bypass procedure.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities231 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $286.91 for 35500 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 35500

Vein harvest, upper extremity conduit

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
6.28
Total RVUs
8.59
Global days
ZZZ

National rate · 2026

$286.91

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 35500 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 35500 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 35500 covers

A vascular surgeon harvests a segment of vein from the arm for use as an autologous conduit in an arterial bypass. Arm vein, such as cephalic or basilic vein, may be selected when suitable leg vein is unavailable or insufficient. The work is performed as part of the operative treatment, commonly during a lower-extremity bypass for arterial disease.

Report 35500 only with the primary bypass procedure; it is not a stand-alone service. The operative report should identify the upper extremity vein harvested and document its use in the bypass. CMS treats this as an add-on code, with payment falling within the primary procedure’s global period. The bypass code describes the reconstruction, while 35500 accounts for the additional vein-harvesting work.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

Where 35500 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

35500 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$260.96
AlaskaUnavailable$369.68
ArizonaUnavailable$278.56
ArkansasUnavailable$257.88
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$298.54
Austin, TXUnavailable$282.73
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$272.61
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$304.56
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$280.97
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$276.76

35500 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

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Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
35500 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 35500 rate is calculated

Each of 35500’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

How the rate is built · 35500

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work6.28

6.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.73

0.73 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.58

1.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

8.5900

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$286.91

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 35500

The CMS indicators that decide how 35500 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 35500

Vein harvest, upper extremity conduit

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodZZZAdd-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 80 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

35500 without 80 · national facility

$286.91

Vein harvest, upper extremity conduit

35500-80 · Assistant: 16%

$45.91

A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.

When to use modifier 80

35500 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 35500

    Vein harvest, upper extremity conduit6.28 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 35572

    Vein harvest, femoropopliteal segment6.64 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 35556

    Arterial bypass, vein graft, femoral to popliteal26.08 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 35656

    Arterial bypass, femoral to popliteal, non-vein19.96 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

35572Vein harvestFemoropopliteal segment
35500 identifies upper extremity vein harvest; 35572 identifies femoral vein harvest. Select based on the donor vein documented in the operative report.
35556Arterial bypassVein graft, femoral to popliteal
35556 reports the femoral-popliteal bypass reconstruction using vein. Add 35500 when upper extremity vein is harvested for that bypass.
35656Arterial bypassFemoral to popliteal, non-vein
35656 reports a femoral-popliteal bypass using a graft other than vein. It does not describe upper extremity vein harvest.

Codes related to 35500

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 35500
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Add-on codes
35556Arterial bypass, vein graft, femoral to poplitealPrimary femoral-popliteal bypass with vein; 35500 may report the separate arm-vein harvest.No office rate
35566Leg bypass, femoral to tibial or peronealPrimary femoral-to-tibial, peroneal, or related distal bypass with vein.No office rate
Used instead
35572Vein harvest, femoropopliteal segmentAdd-on for femoral vein harvest rather than upper extremity vein harvest.No office rate
35656Arterial bypass, femoral to popliteal, non-veinFemoral-popliteal bypass using a non-vein graft rather than harvested vein conduit.No office rate

35500 billing questions

Can 35500 be reported by itself?

No. It is an add-on for harvesting upper extremity vein and must be reported with the primary bypass procedure.

When is 35500 preferred over 35572?

Use 35500 when the harvested conduit comes from the upper extremity. Code 35572 describes harvest of femoral vein instead.

What documentation supports 35500?

The operative report should identify the arm vein harvested and show that it was used as conduit for the bypass.

Is the bypass itself included in 35500?

No. Report the applicable primary bypass code as well; 35500 represents the additional upper extremity vein harvest.

How does the global period affect payment?

CMS treats 35500 as an add-on paid within the primary bypass procedure’s global period.

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 35500PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,330 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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