CPT code 36225: Subclavian angiography, unilateral selective placement2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports selective catheter positioning in a subclavian artery for angiographic assessment of the same-side vertebral and/or cervical carotid vessels.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities7.8K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,792.29 for 36225 nationally in the office and $294.26 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $1,546.58–$2,471.13.

Medicare rate · 36225

Subclavian angiography, unilateral selective placement

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
5.61
Total RVUs
53.66
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$1,792.29

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 36225 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 36225 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 36225 covers

An interventional radiologist, neurointerventionalist, or other qualified physician selectively positions a catheter in one subclavian artery to perform angiographic assessment of the ipsilateral vertebral and/or cervical carotid vessels. This approach may be used when evaluating vertebral-origin disease or suspected subclavian steal. The service is generally performed in a hospital angiography suite or another setting equipped for catheter-based vascular imaging.

Report the code for the documented unilateral subclavian catheter position and the associated angiographic study; document the side, catheter location, vessels imaged, and findings. The specified angiographic work is represented with the catheter service. The CMS global period is 0 days, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. For bilateral performance, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50%. 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 36225 pays more and less

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

109 payment localities

$1546.58 to $2471.13

$1546.58$2008.86$2471.13
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

36225 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$1,574.24$263.46
Alaska$1,961.29$365.88
Arizona$1,736.16$284.57
Arkansas$1,546.58$259.77
Atlanta, GA$1,828.98$306.98
Austin, TX$1,876.04$291.13
Bakersfield, CA$1,922.43$280.59
Baltimore area, MD$1,921.71$314.32
Beaumont, TX$1,648.92$285.71
Brazoria, TX$1,767.44$282.89

36225 rates by state

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

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$1,546.58

$2,194.54

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
36225 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$1,961.291
AL$1,574.241
AR$1,546.581
AZ$1,736.161
CA$1,917.94–$2,471.1329
CO$1,881.281
CT$1,927.131
DC$2,084.421
DE$1,768.951
FL$1,752.55–$1,942.093
GA$1,635.90–$1,828.982
GU$1,980.671
HI$1,980.671
IA$1,626.631
ID$1,638.671
IL$1,689.36–$1,878.994
IN$1,650.241
KS$1,615.641
KY$1,615.611
LA$1,611.85–$1,708.612
MA$1,865.90–$2,094.172
MD$1,808.12–$2,084.423
ME$1,647.08–$1,757.532
MI$1,664.86–$1,776.822
MN$1,797.461
MO$1,577.14–$1,718.083
MS$1,562.321
MT$1,792.181
NC$1,668.171
ND$1,758.761
NE$1,637.951
NH$1,848.721
NJ$1,947.72–$2,055.692
NM$1,675.121
NV$1,784.411
NY$1,698.10–$2,145.325
OH$1,658.031
OK$1,614.021
OR$1,769.33–$1,952.722
PA$1,662.21–$1,870.052
PR$1,808.481
RI$1,840.861
SC$1,666.141
SD$1,754.811
TN$1,625.251
TX$1,648.92–$1,876.048
UT$1,693.631
VA$1,749.37–$2,084.422
VI$1,808.481
VT$1,748.921
WA$1,863.31–$2,142.832
WI$1,688.201
WV$1,613.771
WY$1,777.621

How the 36225 rate is calculated

Each of 36225’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 · 36225

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work5.61

5.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense46.36

46.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice1.69

1.69 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

53.6600

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$1,792.29

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 36225

The CMS indicators that decide how 36225 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 36225

Subclavian angiography, unilateral selective placement

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

36225 without 50 · national office

$1,792.29

Subclavian angiography, unilateral selective placement

36225-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$2,688.44

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).

When to use modifier 50

36225 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 36225

    Subclavian angiography, unilateral selective placement5.61 wRVU

    $1,792.29

  • 36226

    Vertebral angiography, direct vertebral selection6.09 wRVU

    $2,285.96+$493.67

  • 36224

    Carotid angiography, internal carotid, both circulations6.09 wRVU

    $2,350.42+$558.13

  • 36221

    Aortic arch angiography, nonselective thoracic aorta3.82 wRVU

    $952.93−$839.36

How to choose

36226Vertebral angiographyDirect vertebral selection
Choose 36225 when the catheter is positioned in the subclavian artery; choose 36226 when it is advanced selectively into the vertebral artery.
36224Carotid angiographyInternal carotid, both circulations
36224 describes selective internal carotid catheterization. 36225 describes selective subclavian positioning for imaging of the ipsilateral vertebral and/or cervical carotid vessels.
36221Aortic arch angiographyNonselective thoracic aorta
36221 represents nonselective catheter positioning in the thoracic aorta. 36225 requires selective positioning in a subclavian artery.

36225 billing questions

When is 36225 used instead of 36226?

Use 36225 when the selective catheter position is in the subclavian artery. Use 36226 when the catheter is selectively positioned in the vertebral artery.

Is the angiographic study reported separately from 36225?

The code represents the subclavian catheter service with the specified ipsilateral vertebral and/or cervical carotid angiographic assessment. Do not separately report another selective catheter-placement service for the same position.

What documentation supports 36225?

Document the side, selective catheter location in the subclavian artery, vessels imaged, and angiographic findings. The record should distinguish this position from direct catheterization of the vertebral artery.

How is bilateral performance reported under the CMS rule?

For bilateral performance, report modifier 50; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect 36225?

When it is one of multiple procedures performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and the others at 50%. The reduction depends on the relative values of the procedures performed.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid for this service?

CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. 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
RVUs for 36225PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,451 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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