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

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, 2026One payment locality231 Medicare services in 2024

In Montana, Medicare pays $286.81 for 35500 in a facility. There’s no office rate.

Not available in this settingOffice (non-facility)
$286.81Hospital or facility

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 35500 nationwide

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

We’ll open 35500 for the payment locality that covers the ZIP.

On this page 11 sections
  1. Rate in Montana
  2. What 35500 covers
  3. Compared with other areas
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Related codes
  8. Rate history
  9. Where it applies
  10. Billing questions
  11. 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.

How Montana compares for 35500

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the facility rate for 35500 runs from $249.37 in Wisconsin to $369.68 in Alaska. Montana pays $286.81. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

35500 in Montana vs other payment areas
  1. Montana · this page$286.81
  2. Los Angeles, CA · California$282.24−$4.57
  3. Washington, DC area · District of Columbia$308.54+$21.73
  4. Miami, FL · Florida$368.60+$81.79
  5. Chicago, IL · Illinois$356.85+$70.04
  6. Manhattan, NY · New York$335.21+$48.40
  7. Alaska · Alaska$369.68+$82.87

Other areas in Montana first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.

Every other payment area

35500 in every other Medicare payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaAlabama—$260.96
ArkansasArkansas—$257.88
ArizonaArizona—$278.56
Bakersfield, CACalifornia—$272.61
Chico, CACalifornia—$268.33
El Centro, CACalifornia—$268.60
Fresno, CACalifornia—$268.33
Hanford, CACalifornia—$268.33

35500 rates by state

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

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Local rates. Clear comparisons.

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

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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

See 35500 in every payment locality

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.

The exact Montana inputs and CMS source lines

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

4,330

Code
35500
Physician work
6.28
Practice expense
0.73
Malpractice
1.58

GPCI2026.csv

71

Locality
Montana
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
1.000
Malpractice
0.998
Facility calculation for 35500 in Montana
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work6.28× 1.0006.2800
Practice expense0.73× 1.0000.7300
Malpractice1.58× 0.9981.5768
Total RVUs8.5868
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Facility rate, Montana$286.81

Facility: (6.28 × 1 + 0.73 × 1 + 1.58 × 0.998) × $33.4009 = $286.81

Open 35500 in the RVU calculator

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

How 35500 has changed in Montana

35500 · Office / nonfacility

Rate unavailable

Effective 2026-10-01

A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.

Base rate by release · bars start at $0 · select a bar to compare

One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.

What changed, release by release
Rates in every CMS release
Effective fromOfficeFacilityCMS release
2026-10-01Not available in this setting$286.81RVU26D
2026-07-01Not available in this setting$286.81RVU26C
2026-04-01Not available in this setting$286.81RVU26B
2026-01-01Not available in this setting$286.81RVU26A
2025-10-01Not available in this setting$299.38RVU25D
2025-07-01Not available in this setting$299.38RVU25C
2025-04-01Not available in this setting$299.38RVU25B
2025-01-01Not available in this setting$299.38RVU25A
2024-10-01Not available in this setting$307.75RVU24D
2024-07-01Not available in this setting$307.75RVU24C
2024-04-01Not available in this setting$307.75RVU24B
2024-03-09Not available in this setting$307.75RVU24AR
2024-01-01Not available in this setting$302.73RVU24A
2023-10-01Not available in this setting$311.96RVU23D
2023-07-01Not available in this setting$311.96RVU23C
2023-04-01Not available in this setting$311.96RVU23B
2023-01-01Not available in this setting$311.96RVU23A
2022-10-01Not available in this setting$320.92RVU22D
2022-07-01Not available in this setting$320.92RVU22C
2022-04-01Not available in this setting$320.92RVU22B
2022-01-01Not available in this setting$320.92RVU22A
2021-10-01Not available in this setting$321.88RVU21D
2021-07-01Not available in this setting$321.88RVU21C
2021-04-01Not available in this setting$321.88RVU21B
2021-01-01Not available in this setting$321.88RVU21A
2020-10-01Not available in this setting$351.95RVU20D
2020-07-01Not available in this setting$351.95RVU20C
2020-04-01Not available in this setting$351.95RVU20B
2020-01-01Not available in this setting$351.95RVU20A
2019-10-01Not available in this setting$368.46RVU19D
2019-07-01Not available in this setting$368.46RVU19C
2019-04-01Not available in this setting$368.46RVU19B
2019-01-01Not available in this setting$368.46RVU19A
2018-10-01Not available in this setting$368.91RVU18D
2018-07-01Not available in this setting$368.91RVU18C
2018-04-01Not available in this setting$368.91RVU18B
2018-01-01Not available in this setting$368.91RVU18AR1
2017-10-01Not available in this setting$358.55RVU17D
2017-07-01Not available in this setting$358.55RVU17C
2017-04-01Not available in this setting$358.55RVU17B
2017-01-01Not available in this setting$358.55RVU17A
2016-10-01Not available in this setting$349.61RVU16D
2016-07-01Not available in this setting$349.61RVU16C
2016-04-01Not available in this setting$349.61RVU16B
2016-01-01Not available in this setting$349.61RVU16A
2015-10-01Not available in this setting$352.11RVU15D
2015-07-01Not available in this setting$352.11RVU15C
2015-04-01Not available in this setting$350.36RVU15B
2015-01-01Not available in this setting$350.36RVU15A
2014-10-01Not available in this setting$347.69RVU14D
2014-07-01Not available in this setting$347.69RVU14C
2014-04-01Not available in this setting$347.69RVU14B
2014-01-01Not available in this setting$347.69RVU14A
2013-10-01Not available in this setting$338.00RVU13D
2013-07-01Not available in this setting$338.00RVU13C
2013-04-01Not available in this setting$338.00RVU13B
2013-01-01Not available in this setting$338.00RVU13AR

Price 35500 for an earlier date of service

Where the Montana rate applies

Montana is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 497 cities and communities in Montana. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

  • Absarokee
  • Acton
  • Alberton
  • Alder
  • Alzada
  • Amsterdam
  • Anaconda-Deer Lodge County
  • Antelope

Browse all communities in Montana

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)
Geographic factors for MontanaGPCI2026.csv, line 71 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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