CPT code 35500: Vein harvest, upper extremity conduit2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Louisiana
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 doesn’t publish an office rate for 35500 in Louisiana.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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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 in Louisiana
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | Unavailable | $292.65 |
| Rest of Louisiana | Unavailable | $281.89 |
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
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
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician 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.
35500 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
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.
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
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