CPT code 36260: Pump insertion, implantable infusion pump2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Maryland
Reports surgical placement of an implantable infusion pump and its catheter, commonly used to deliver regional chemotherapy through the hepatic arterial circulation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 36260 in Maryland.
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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What 36260 covers
A surgeon implants a pump, typically in a subcutaneous abdominal pocket, and places its catheter into the arterial circulation for regional drug delivery. A common use is hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for liver-dominant malignancy, including colorectal cancer metastatic to the liver. Surgical oncologists and vascular or general surgeons usually perform the procedure in a hospital operating room.
Report 36260 for initial pump implantation, supported by the operative report documenting the pump placement and catheter route. Catheter placement integral to the pump insertion is included. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is not appropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; 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 36260 pays more and less in Maryland
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore area, MD | Unavailable | $675.25 |
| Rest of Maryland | Unavailable | $632.13 |
| Washington, DC area | Unavailable | $700.39 |
How the 36260 rate is calculated
Each of 36260’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 · 36260
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work9.66
9.66 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.72
6.72 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice2.58
2.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
18.9600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$633.28
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36260
36260 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 36260
Pump insertion, implantable infusion pump
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.84/0.07 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 36260
Pump insertion, implantable infusion pump
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
36260 without 51 · national facility
$633.28
Pump insertion, implantable infusion pump
36260-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$316.64
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%).
36260 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36261Pump revisionImplanted infusion pump
- Choose 36260 for initial pump implantation; use 36261 when revising a pump already in place.
- 36262Infusion pump removalImplanted vascular infusion pump
- 36262 reports removal of an implanted infusion pump, not its initial placement.
- 62362Infusion pump implantProgrammable pump
- 62362 is for a pump delivering medication intrathecally or epidurally; 36260 is associated with arterial infusion, such as hepatic arterial chemotherapy.
36260 billing questions
When should 36260 be reported instead of 36261?
Use 36260 for initial implantation of the infusion pump. Code 36261 describes revision of an already implanted pump.
Is catheter placement separately reported with the pump insertion?
Catheter placement integral to establishing the pump's infusion route is included in 36260. The operative report should document the pump and catheter placement.
Is modifier 50 appropriate for bilateral pump insertion?
No. Modifier 50 is not appropriate for this descriptor and anatomy.
How does the 90-day global period affect postoperative visits?
The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What happens when 36260 is performed with another procedure?
Under the standard multiple-procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures performed in the same session are paid at 50%.
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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