CPT code 36215: Arterial catheterization, first-order thoracic branch2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Report this code when a catheter is selectively positioned in a first-order thoracic or brachiocephalic arterial branch, rather than left in the aorta or advanced farther.
Medicare pays $1,143.98–$1,470.61 for 36215 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 36215 covers
The operator advances a catheter from an arterial access site into a first-order branch arising from the thoracic aorta or brachiocephalic trunk. Examples include selective placement in the left common carotid or left subclavian artery. Interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons, and other physicians performing arterial catheter procedures may use this service during diagnostic angiography or an intervention, when the catheter placement is separately reportable.
Documentation should identify the selected artery and show the catheter position and order of branching; access alone does not establish selective placement. Use a more distal-level code when the catheter reaches a second- or third-order branch. The cervicocerebral angiography codes that include catheter selection should not be duplicated with a separate placement code for the same included work. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. In a same-session multiple-procedure situation, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and 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 36215 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
$1143.98 to $1470.61
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $1,145.76 | $185.55 |
| Chico, CA | $1,143.98 | $183.76 |
| El Centro, CA | $1,144.08 | $183.87 |
| Fresno, CA | $1,143.98 | $183.76 |
| Hanford, CA | $1,143.98 | $183.76 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $1,228.84 | $192.41 |
| Madera, CA | $1,143.98 | $183.76 |
| Marin County, CA | $1,437.94 | $202.63 |
| Merced, CA | $1,143.98 | $183.76 |
| Modesto, CA | $1,143.98 | $183.76 |
| Napa, CA | $1,351.11 | $196.41 |
| Oxnard, CA | $1,225.32 | $189.76 |
| Redding, CA | $1,143.98 | $183.76 |
| Rest of California | $1,143.98 | $183.76 |
| Riverside, CA | $1,150.68 | $190.46 |
| Sacramento, CA | $1,207.36 | $188.45 |
| Salinas, CA | $1,203.05 | $187.64 |
| San Benito County, CA | $1,470.61 | $207.27 |
| San Diego, CA | $1,236.62 | $188.79 |
| San Francisco, CA | $1,437.24 | $201.93 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $1,183.00 | $185.11 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $1,467.74 | $204.39 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $1,252.51 | $188.04 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $1,209.00 | $187.46 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $1,265.53 | $189.68 |
| Stockton, CA | $1,143.98 | $183.76 |
| Vallejo, CA | $1,350.10 | $195.39 |
| Visalia, CA | $1,143.98 | $183.76 |
| Yuba City, CA | $1,143.98 | $183.76 |
How the 36215 rate is calculated
Each of 36215’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 · 36215
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.07
4.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense27.17
27.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.62
0.62 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
31.8600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,064.15
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36215
The CMS indicators that decide how 36215 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36215
Arterial catheterization, first-order thoracic branch
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
36215 without 51 · national office
$1,064.15
Arterial catheterization, first-order thoracic branch
36215-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$532.08
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
36215 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36200Aortic catheterizationNonselective placement
- 36200 describes a catheter left in the aorta without selective branch placement. 36215 requires documented selection of a first-order thoracic or brachiocephalic branch.
- 36216Arterial catheterizationSecond-order branch
- Use 36216 when the catheter reaches a second-order branch; 36215 is for the first-order branch level.
- 36217Arterial catheterizationThird order or higher
- 36217 applies when the catheter reaches a third-order branch. Do not choose it merely because the procedure involves a more complex intervention.
- 36222Carotid angiographyCommon carotid, extracranial
- 36222 includes catheter selection and cervicocerebral angiography of the common carotid or innominate artery. 36215 describes placement alone when separately reportable.
36215 billing questions
How does 36215 differ from 36200?
36215 represents selective placement into a first-order thoracic or brachiocephalic branch. Use 36200 when the catheter remains in the aorta without selective branch placement.
When should 36216 be used instead?
Use 36216 when the catheter is advanced into a second-order branch. Select the level based on the documented catheter position and arterial branching, not the access site.
Can 36215 be reported with cervicocerebral angiography?
Some cervicocerebral angiography codes include catheter selection as part of the service. Do not separately report 36215 for catheter placement already included in the selected angiography code.
Should modifier 50 be appended for bilateral branch selection?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; modifier 50 should not be used.
What documentation supports 36215?
Document the specific artery selected and the catheter's final position so the first-order branch level is clear. The access site by itself does not support this selective placement.
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
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