CPT code 35701: Arterial exploration, neck artery, no repair2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $383.44 for 35701 nationally in a facility.

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

What 35701 covers

A vascular surgeon exposes and examines a neck artery to investigate a suspected vascular problem, such as possible injury or abnormality. The service involves operative exploration rather than imaging or a limited bedside assessment. It is reported when the surgeon explores the artery and does not proceed with surgical repair; if a definitive arterial procedure is performed, report the procedure that describes that treatment instead of separately reporting the exploration.

The operative report should identify the neck artery, the reason for exploration, the operative findings, and whether repair or another definitive procedure was performed. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be made; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.

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 35701 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

35701 rates by state

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

How the 35701 rate is calculated

Each of 35701’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 35701

35701 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

35701 compared with similar codes

How to choose

35702Artery explorationUpper extremity

Choose 35701 for a neck artery. Use 35702 when the explored artery is in the upper extremity and no repair is performed.

35703Artery explorationLower extremity, no repair

Choose 35701 for a neck artery. Use 35703 for exploration of a lower-extremity artery without repair.

35201Vessel repairDirect repair, neck

35701 describes exploration without repair; 35201 describes direct repair of a blood vessel in the neck.

35301Arterial endarterectomyCarotid, vertebral, or subclavian

35701 is for exploration without definitive treatment. Use 35301 when the surgeon performs carotid endarterectomy.

Codes related to 35701

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates