CPT code 36251: Renal angiography, unilateral, main artery2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Report this service for selective catheterization and angiographic imaging of one kidney’s main renal artery and any accessory renal arteries.
Medicare pays $1,312.97–$1,684.24 for 36251 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 36251 covers
An interventional radiologist, vascular surgeon, or interventional cardiologist selectively advances a catheter into the main renal artery and any accessory renal arteries on one side to obtain renal angiographic images. The service may help evaluate suspected renal artery narrowing or define anatomy during a renal artery intervention, typically in an angiography or catheterization suite. The code includes the imaging guidance and roadmapping needed for the renal angiography; it is not limited to catheter placement alone.
Report one unilateral service when the main renal artery and any accessory arteries on that side are evaluated. Use the branch-level renal code when catheterization extends to segmental or subsegmental branches, and the bilateral code when both kidneys are treated. The record should identify the side, catheterized vessels, and angiographic work performed. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. In a session with multiple procedures, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. 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 36251 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
$1312.97 to $1684.24
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $1,315.62 | $217.77 |
| Chico, CA | $1,312.97 | $215.12 |
| El Centro, CA | $1,313.13 | $215.28 |
| Fresno, CA | $1,312.97 | $215.12 |
| Hanford, CA | $1,312.97 | $215.12 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $1,410.49 | $225.49 |
| Madera, CA | $1,312.97 | $215.12 |
| Marin County, CA | $1,646.40 | $234.01 |
| Merced, CA | $1,312.97 | $215.12 |
| Modesto, CA | $1,312.97 | $215.12 |
| Napa, CA | $1,548.03 | $227.80 |
| Oxnard, CA | $1,406.00 | $222.00 |
| Redding, CA | $1,312.97 | $215.12 |
| Rest of California | $1,312.97 | $215.12 |
| Riverside, CA | $1,323.20 | $225.34 |
| Sacramento, CA | $1,385.03 | $220.06 |
| Salinas, CA | $1,380.09 | $219.13 |
| San Benito County, CA | $1,684.24 | $239.80 |
| San Diego, CA | $1,418.16 | $220.14 |
| San Francisco, CA | $1,645.32 | $232.93 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $1,357.20 | $216.27 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $1,679.83 | $235.39 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $1,436.02 | $218.96 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $1,386.79 | $218.81 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $1,450.88 | $220.80 |
| Stockton, CA | $1,312.97 | $215.12 |
| Vallejo, CA | $1,546.47 | $226.24 |
| Visalia, CA | $1,312.97 | $215.12 |
| Yuba City, CA | $1,312.97 | $215.12 |
How the 36251 rate is calculated
Each of 36251’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 · 36251
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.97
4.97 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense30.79
30.79 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.95
0.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
36.7100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,226.15
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36251
The CMS indicators that decide how 36251 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36251
Renal angiography, unilateral, main artery
| 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
36251 without 51 · national office
$1,226.15
Renal angiography, unilateral, main artery
36251-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$613.08
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%).
36251 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36252Renal angiographyBilateral, first-order arteries
- Use 36252 when renal angiography is performed bilaterally. This code is for one side; modifier 50 is inappropriate.
- 36253Renal angiographySecond-order or higher, unilateral
- Use 36253 for unilateral catheterization of segmental or subsegmental renal artery branches. This code covers the main renal artery and accessory arteries.
- 36245Selective catheterizationFirst-order abdominal or leg branch
- 36245 describes first-order selective catheter placement in an abdominal, pelvic, or lower-extremity artery. This renal-specific service includes renal angiographic imaging and guidance.
36251 billing questions
When should I report this instead of 36252?
Report this code for renal angiography on one side. Use 36252 when the service is bilateral; do not use modifier 50 to make this code bilateral.
Does this code include the angiographic imaging?
Yes. The renal angiographic imaging, intraprocedural roadmapping, and imaging guidance needed to complete the service are included.
How does 36251 differ from 36253?
This code covers the main renal artery and any accessory renal arteries on one side. Use 36253 when catheterization extends into segmental or subsegmental renal artery branches.
What documentation supports reporting this service?
Document the side, the renal arteries selectively catheterized, and the angiographic imaging performed. The report should make clear whether work was limited to the main and accessory arteries or extended into branch vessels.
How does the multiple-procedure rule affect payment?
When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in this code’s 0-day global period.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted for this service. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery.
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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