CPT code 36200: Aortic catheterization, nonselective placement2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports advancing a catheter into the aorta without selecting a branch artery, such as for a separately reportable aortographic study.
Medicare pays $524.01–$590.72 for 36200 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 36200 covers
This service covers advancing a catheter through arterial access until its tip is in the aorta, without selectively entering an aortic branch. It may be performed by an interventional radiologist, vascular surgeon, or other physician performing an aortic study. A typical use is positioning a catheter in the aorta for aortography; the documented tip location distinguishes this service from catheterization of a carotid, renal, or other branch artery.
Report the aortic placement when it is separately identifiable and not included in a more comprehensive service. Documentation should show the access route, final catheter position, and the study or procedure performed. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 invokes the bilateral payment rule of 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted; 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 36200 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
$524.01 to $590.72
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | $590.72 | $121.43 |
| Beaumont, TX | $524.01 | $120.36 |
| Brazoria, TX | $558.54 | $118.97 |
| Dallas, TX | $562.53 | $120.74 |
| Fort Worth, TX | $558.24 | $120.89 |
| Galveston, TX | $560.45 | $119.99 |
| Houston, TX | $571.80 | $131.34 |
| Rest of Texas | $541.24 | $120.29 |
How the 36200 rate is calculated
Each of 36200’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 · 36200
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.70
2.70 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense13.64
13.64 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.62
0.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
16.9600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$566.48
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36200
The CMS indicators that decide how 36200 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36200
Aortic catheterization, nonselective placement
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| 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
36200 without 50 · national office
$566.48
Aortic catheterization, nonselective placement
36200-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$849.72
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).
36200 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36215Arterial catheterizationFirst-order thoracic branch
- 36200 ends with the catheter in the aorta. 36215 applies when the catheter is selectively advanced into a first-order branch artery.
- 36221Aortic arch angiographyNonselective thoracic aorta
- 36221 describes thoracic aortic catheterization with angiographic imaging. Do not separately report 36200 for catheter work included in that service.
- 36245Selective catheterizationFirst-order abdominal or leg branch
- 36245 is for selective catheterization in the abdominal, pelvic, or lower-extremity arterial system; 36200 represents nonselective aortic placement.
36200 billing questions
When should I choose 36200 instead of a selective catheterization code?
Use 36200 when the catheter remains in the aorta and no branch artery is selectively entered. If the catheter is advanced into a branch, choose the code that reflects the selective catheterization performed.
Can 36200 be reported with an aortography code?
It may be reported with a separately reportable aortographic imaging service when the catheter placement is not included in a more comprehensive code. For example, 75625 describes abdominal aortography, while 36221 includes thoracic aortic catheterization with imaging.
Is catheter placement separately reportable during an endovascular procedure?
Catheter placement that is integral to a more comprehensive intervention is not separately reported as 36200. Check whether the intervention code includes the access and catheter work.
What should the procedure note document?
The note should identify the arterial access route, the catheter's final position in the aorta, and the diagnostic study or procedure performed. It should also make clear whether a branch artery was selectively catheterized.
How does the CMS multiple-procedure rule affect 36200?
When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard 50% reduction to the others. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care.
Can I append modifier 50 or bill an assistant surgeon?
CMS applies the bilateral rule when modifier 50 is reported, with payment at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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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