CPT code 36222: Carotid angiography, common carotid, extracranial2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $1,259.55 for 36222 nationally in the office and $252.51 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $1,091.15–$1,719.52.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 36222 covers

An interventional radiologist, vascular surgeon, or neurointerventional specialist selectively places a catheter in one common carotid artery or the innominate artery and images the ipsilateral extracranial carotid circulation. The service is typically performed in an angiography suite to assess cervical carotid anatomy, such as suspected stenosis. Aortic arch imaging is included when performed; this code’s imaging territory is extracranial rather than intracranial.

Report one unit for the unilateral service and document the catheterized artery, side, clinical indication, and angiographic territory. The code includes the selective catheter placement and the associated angiography; do not separately report those same elements as though they were distinct services. It has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. With other procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 identifies bilateral performance and CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid; 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 36222 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

36222 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

How the 36222 rate is calculated

Each of 36222’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 36222

The CMS indicators that decide how 36222 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

36222 compared with similar codes

How to choose

36221Aortic arch angiographyNonselective thoracic aorta

36221 describes nonselective catheter placement in the thoracic aorta and arch imaging. Use 36222 when the catheter is selectively placed in a common carotid or the innominate artery.

36223Carotid angiographyIpsilateral intracranial circulation

Both involve selective common carotid or innominate catheter placement. Choose 36223 when the study includes the ipsilateral intracranial circulation as well as the extracranial carotid circulation.

36224Carotid angiographyInternal carotid, both circulations

36224 is for selective catheter placement in the internal carotid artery with intracranial angiography. 36222 uses common carotid or innominate placement and covers extracranial carotid angiography.

Codes related to 36222

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates