CPT code 36012: Venous catheterization, second-order or deeper branch2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports selective catheter advancement into a second-order or more distal venous branch, such as during adrenal vein sampling or a venous intervention.
Medicare pays $865.28–$1,108.88 for 36012 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. 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 36012 covers
This code represents advancing a catheter from a larger vein into a more selective branch at least one level beyond a first-order branch. It may be performed by an interventional radiologist, vascular surgeon, or another physician during venous sampling, venography, or a catheter-based treatment. Adrenal vein sampling is a representative clinical situation: the operator steers the catheter into the adrenal venous branch to obtain a targeted sample.
Choose the code based on the most selective branch reached, not simply the access vein or the length of catheter advancement. The procedure report should identify the target vein and document the catheter position. This code describes catheter placement; report related imaging, sampling, or treatment services only when separately supported and permitted by applicable coding rules. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and other procedures at 50%. For a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50, CMS pays this code at 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 36012 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 payment localities
$865.28 to $1108.88
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $867.02 | $149.51 |
| Chico, CA | $865.28 | $147.77 |
| El Centro, CA | $865.38 | $147.88 |
| Fresno, CA | $865.28 | $147.77 |
| Hanford, CA | $865.28 | $147.77 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $929.25 | $154.79 |
| Madera, CA | $865.28 | $147.77 |
| Marin County, CA | $1,084.03 | $160.96 |
| Merced, CA | $865.28 | $147.77 |
| Modesto, CA | $865.28 | $147.77 |
| Napa, CA | $1,019.44 | $156.60 |
| Oxnard, CA | $926.25 | $152.44 |
| Redding, CA | $865.28 | $147.77 |
| Rest of California | $865.28 | $147.77 |
| Riverside, CA | $871.96 | $154.45 |
| Sacramento, CA | $912.56 | $151.20 |
| Salinas, CA | $909.30 | $150.55 |
| San Benito County, CA | $1,108.88 | $164.87 |
| San Diego, CA | $934.22 | $151.25 |
| San Francisco, CA | $1,083.32 | $160.26 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $894.23 | $148.58 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $1,106.01 | $161.99 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $945.86 | $150.46 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $913.67 | $150.34 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $955.65 | $151.73 |
| Stockton, CA | $865.28 | $147.77 |
| Vallejo, CA | $1,018.42 | $155.59 |
| Visalia, CA | $865.28 | $147.77 |
| Yuba City, CA | $865.28 | $147.77 |
How the 36012 rate is calculated
Each of 36012’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 · 36012
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.42
3.42 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense20.16
20.16 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.62
0.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
24.2000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$808.30
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36012
The CMS indicators that decide how 36012 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36012
Venous catheterization, second-order or deeper branch
| 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
36012 without 50 · national office
$808.30
Venous catheterization, second-order or deeper branch
36012-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,212.45
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).
36012 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36010Venous catheterSVC or IVC placement
- 36010 represents catheter placement at the vena cava level. Choose 36012 when the catheter is advanced selectively into a second-order or more distal venous branch.
- 36011Venous catheterizationFirst-order branch
- 36011 applies to a first-order venous branch. 36012 requires catheter placement farther into the branching venous anatomy.
- 36014Pulmonary catheterizationSelective pulmonary artery
- 36014 describes selective catheter placement in an arterial branch. 36012 is for selective placement in the venous system.
36012 billing questions
When is 36012 used instead of 36011?
Use 36012 when the catheter reaches a second-order or more distal venous branch. Use 36011 for placement in a first-order branch.
How does 36012 differ from 36010?
36010 describes catheter placement in the vena cava. 36012 represents selective advancement from a larger vein into a more distal venous branch.
What documentation supports 36012?
The operative or procedure report should identify the target branch and show that the catheter was advanced beyond a first-order branch. Adrenal vein sampling is one example of a service where this level of selectivity may be documented.
Can venography or sampling be reported with 36012?
36012 represents catheter placement, not the imaging, interpretation, or sampling itself. Report another service only when it is separately supported and permitted by applicable coding rules.
How does CMS handle modifier 50 and multiple procedures?
For a bilateral service reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 36012 at 150%. In a session with multiple procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%.
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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