CPT code 36005: Venography injection, extremity veins2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $244.49 for 36005 nationally in the office and $41.75 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $212.56–$337.41.

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

What 36005 covers

A clinician injects contrast into a peripheral vein to opacify the veins of an arm or leg for venographic imaging. The service includes introducing the needle or catheter used for the injection. It is typically performed by a radiologist, interventional radiologist, or other clinician conducting the venographic study in an imaging department, hospital, or office-based setting. The imaging and its interpretation are represented by the applicable radiology service rather than by this injection code alone.

Report 36005 for the extremity-vein contrast injection, not for routine venous access or catheter placement alone. Documentation should identify the extremity studied and support the injection for venography. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. With multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are reduced to 50%. For bilateral performance, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery is paid only when medical necessity is documented; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 36005 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

36005 rates by state

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

How the 36005 rate is calculated

Each of 36005’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 36005

The CMS indicators that decide how 36005 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

36005 compared with similar codes

How to choose

36000Venous accessNeedle or intracatheter

36000 describes peripheral venous access. Use 36005 when contrast is injected into an extremity vein for venography; its access introduction is included.

75820Extremity venographyOne arm or leg

75820 represents radiological supervision and interpretation for unilateral extremity venography. 36005 reports the contrast injection and access introduction.

75822Extremity venographyBilateral

75822 represents radiological supervision and interpretation for bilateral extremity venography; 36005 reports the injection service, with modifier 50 for bilateral performance.

Codes related to 36005

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