CPT code 36015: Pulmonary catheterization, segmental or subsegmental branch2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports selective catheter placement in a segmental or subsegmental pulmonary artery, typically to support pulmonary angiography or catheter-directed treatment.
Medicare pays $852.33–$1,092.59 for 36015 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 36015 covers
This service involves advancing a catheter beyond the left or right pulmonary artery into a segmental or smaller pulmonary arterial branch. Cardiologists and interventional radiologists may perform it during pulmonary angiography or catheter-directed treatment, including procedures addressing pulmonary emboli. The code represents the catheter placement into the distal branch, rather than the imaging interpretation or the therapeutic work performed through the catheter.
Report the code when the record identifies selective catheter placement in a segmental or subsegmental pulmonary artery; document the side and branch reached. Distinguish this distal placement from catheter positioning in the main pulmonary artery or a left or right pulmonary artery. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS pays this procedure 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 36015 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
$852.33 to $1092.59
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $853.76 | $146.50 |
| Chico, CA | $852.33 | $145.08 |
| El Centro, CA | $852.42 | $145.16 |
| Fresno, CA | $852.33 | $145.08 |
| Hanford, CA | $852.33 | $145.08 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $914.91 | $151.51 |
| Madera, CA | $852.33 | $145.08 |
| Marin County, CA | $1,068.38 | $158.50 |
| Merced, CA | $852.33 | $145.08 |
| Modesto, CA | $852.33 | $145.08 |
| Napa, CA | $1,004.47 | $153.95 |
| Oxnard, CA | $912.09 | $149.34 |
| Redding, CA | $852.33 | $145.08 |
| Rest of California | $852.33 | $145.08 |
| Riverside, CA | $857.64 | $150.38 |
| Sacramento, CA | $898.97 | $148.48 |
| Salinas, CA | $895.75 | $147.84 |
| San Benito County, CA | $1,092.59 | $162.06 |
| San Diego, CA | $920.28 | $148.50 |
| San Francisco, CA | $1,067.82 | $157.94 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $880.87 | $145.87 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $1,090.31 | $159.78 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $931.77 | $147.72 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $900.05 | $147.62 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $941.42 | $148.99 |
| Stockton, CA | $852.33 | $145.08 |
| Vallejo, CA | $1,003.66 | $153.15 |
| Visalia, CA | $852.33 | $145.08 |
| Yuba City, CA | $852.33 | $145.08 |
How the 36015 rate is calculated
Each of 36015’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 · 36015
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.42
3.42 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense19.87
19.87 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.49
0.49 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
23.7800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$794.27
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36015
The CMS indicators that decide how 36015 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36015
Pulmonary catheterization, segmental or subsegmental 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
36015 without 50 · national office
$794.27
Pulmonary catheterization, segmental or subsegmental branch
36015-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$1,191.41
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).
36015 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36013Pulmonary catheter placementRight heart or main pulmonary artery
- Use 36013 for catheter placement in the right heart or main pulmonary artery. 36015 requires selective advancement into a segmental or smaller pulmonary arterial branch.
- 36014Pulmonary catheterizationSelective pulmonary artery
- 36014 captures selective placement in a left or right pulmonary artery; 36015 identifies placement farther distally in a segmental or subsegmental branch.
- 75743Pulmonary angiographyBilateral selective study
- 75743 describes bilateral pulmonary angiographic imaging and its radiological supervision and interpretation, not the catheter placement represented by 36015.
36015 billing questions
How does 36015 differ from 36014?
36015 describes catheter placement in a segmental or subsegmental pulmonary artery branch. 36014 is for selective placement in a left or right pulmonary artery.
How does 36015 differ from 36013?
36013 describes catheter placement in the right heart or main pulmonary artery. Use 36015 when the catheter is advanced selectively into a segmental or smaller pulmonary arterial branch.
What documentation supports 36015?
Document the pulmonary arterial branch reached and the side, along with the catheter placement performed. The record should support distal selective placement rather than positioning only in a larger pulmonary artery.
Can 36015 be reported with pulmonary angiography?
Yes. Catheter placement and pulmonary angiographic imaging are distinct services when both are performed and documented; 75741 and 75743 describe unilateral and bilateral pulmonary angiographic imaging, respectively.
How is bilateral 36015 reported?
Report bilateral performance with modifier 50. CMS pays bilateral 36015 at 150%.
What happens when 36015 is performed with other procedures in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid 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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