CPT code 36010: Venous catheter, SVC or IVC placement2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports advancing a catheter into the superior or inferior vena cava for central venous evaluation or catheter-based work, without selective branch placement.
Medicare pays $472.92–$535.75 for 36010 in the office in Texas, from Beaumont, TX to Austin, TX. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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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On this page 9 sections
What 36010 covers
CPT 36010 represents advancing a catheter into the superior vena cava (SVC) or inferior vena cava (IVC). It is used for central venous catheter positioning, such as during caval venography or catheter-based evaluation of suspected central venous obstruction. Interventional radiologists and other physicians performing vascular catheter procedures commonly provide this service in a fluoroscopy suite or procedural setting. The defining point is placement in the cava itself, rather than selective catheterization of a named venous branch.
Report the code when the catheter reaches the SVC or IVC and documentation supports that placement; distinguish it from peripheral venous needle access and from selective branch catheterization. For caval venography, the imaging service is distinct from catheter placement and may be represented by the applicable supervision-and-interpretation code when supported. CMS applies the standard multiple-procedure reduction when multiple procedures are performed in the same session: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures at 50%. When the service is appropriately reported bilaterally with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%.
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 36010 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 payment localities
$472.92 to $535.75
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | $535.75 | $94.37 |
| Beaumont, TX | $472.92 | $93.29 |
| Brazoria, TX | $506.08 | $92.66 |
| Dallas, TX | $509.36 | $93.85 |
| Fort Worth, TX | $505.26 | $93.92 |
| Galveston, TX | $507.59 | $93.33 |
| Houston, TX | $515.10 | $100.84 |
| Rest of Texas | $489.24 | $93.34 |
How the 36010 rate is calculated
Each of 36010’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 · 36010
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.13
2.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense12.80
12.80 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.41
0.41 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
15.3400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$512.37
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36010
The CMS indicators that decide how 36010 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36010
Venous catheter, SVC or IVC placement
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
36010 without 50 · national office
$512.37
Venous catheter, SVC or IVC placement
36010-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$768.56
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
36010 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36011Venous catheterizationFirst-order branch
- 36010 stops at catheter placement in the SVC or IVC. 36011 applies when the catheter is selectively placed in a first-order venous branch.
- 36012Venous catheterizationSecond-order or deeper branch
- Use 36012 for selective catheter placement in a second-order or more distal venous branch; 36010 describes placement in the cava.
- 36000Venous accessNeedle or intracatheter
- 36000 reports placement of a needle in a vein for access. 36010 reports advancement of a catheter into the SVC or IVC.
- 36005Venography injectionExtremity veins
- 36005 describes an injection procedure for extremity venography. 36010 describes catheter placement in a central vein.
36010 billing questions
When should 36010 be chosen instead of 36011?
Use 36010 for catheter placement in the SVC or IVC itself. Use 36011 when the catheter is selectively advanced into a first-order venous branch.
How does 36010 differ from 36012?
36010 describes placement in the cava. 36012 is for selective catheter placement in a second-order or more distal venous branch.
Can a venography imaging code be reported with 36010?
For IVC or SVC venography, 75825 or 75827 describes the imaging supervision and interpretation, while 36010 describes catheter placement. Documentation should support each reported service.
How does CMS handle multiple procedures in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full, and other procedures are paid at 50% under the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
When does modifier 50 affect payment for 36010?
When 36010 is appropriately reported as a bilateral procedure with modifier 50, CMS pays 150%. The record must support the bilateral service.
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
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