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CPT code 36416: Capillary collection, skin puncture2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Capillary blood collection covers obtaining a specimen by finger, heel, or ear stick, commonly for testing that uses a small blood sample.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare rate · 36416

Capillary collection, skin puncture

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
0
Total RVUs
0.00
Global days
XXX

National rate · 2026

—

Not priced in the facility setting.

See every locality for 36416 →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 36416 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 36416 covers

This service is the collection of a capillary blood specimen through a skin puncture, such as a finger stick, heel stick, or ear stick. Clinical staff commonly perform it in physician offices, clinics, and laboratory settings when a test calls for capillary rather than venous blood. The collection method is distinct from drawing blood through a vein, and the code describes collection rather than laboratory analysis.

Medicare assigns CPT 36416 payment status B: the code is bundled, is never paid separately, and its payment is included in payment for other services. Documentation should identify the capillary collection and connect it to the specimen or testing encounter. A venous draw is reported under a different collection code.

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 36416 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

36416 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailableUnavailable
AlaskaUnavailableUnavailable
ArizonaUnavailableUnavailable
ArkansasUnavailableUnavailable
Atlanta, GAUnavailableUnavailable
Austin, TXUnavailableUnavailable
Bakersfield, CAUnavailableUnavailable
Baltimore area, MDUnavailableUnavailable
Beaumont, TXUnavailableUnavailable
Brazoria, TXUnavailableUnavailable

36416 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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.

View every state and territory as a table
36416 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 36416 rate is calculated

Each of 36416’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 · 36416

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work0.00

0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.00

0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.00

0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

0.0000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$0.00

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 36416

36416 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.

Place of service · 36416

Which rate does Medicare pay?

The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).

POS 11 · non-facility rate · national

—

36416 isn’t priced in this setting.

36416 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 36416

    Capillary collection, skin puncture0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 36415

    Venipuncture, routine venous sampleLab fee

    $9.34

  • 36405

    Scalp venipuncture, younger than 3 years0.3 wRVU

    $24.05

  • 36406

    Pediatric venipuncture, other vein, under age three0.18 wRVU

    $18.37

How to choose

36415VenipunctureRoutine venous sample
36416 is for capillary blood obtained by skin puncture; 36415 is for blood collected from a vein.
36405Scalp venipunctureYounger than 3 years
36405 describes venipuncture using a scalp vein in a child under 3 years. Use 36416 when the specimen is obtained by capillary puncture instead.
36406Pediatric venipunctureOther vein, under age three
36406 describes venipuncture using another vein in a child under 3 years; 36416 is capillary collection.

Codes related to 36416

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

Codes related to 36416
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
36415Venipuncture, routine venous sampleVenous blood collection when the specimen is obtained by venipuncture rather than skin puncture.$9.34
36400Venipuncture, under age three, femoral or jugularVenipuncture in a child under 3 years using a femoral or jugular vein.$25.04–$34.79
36405Scalp venipuncture, younger than 3 yearsVenipuncture in a child under 3 years using a scalp vein.$21.84–$30.75
36406Pediatric venipuncture, other vein, under age threeVenipuncture in a child under 3 years using another vein.$16.51–$24.19

36416 billing questions

When should 36416 be used instead of 36415?

Use 36416 for a specimen obtained by skin puncture, such as a finger, heel, or ear stick. Use 36415 for venous blood collection.

Does Medicare pay 36416 separately?

No. Medicare assigns status B, meaning the service is bundled and never paid separately; its payment is included in payment for other services.

Does 36416 include the laboratory test?

The code describes obtaining the capillary specimen, not analyzing it.

What should documentation identify?

Identify the capillary collection and the specimen or testing encounter.

Does a modifier make 36416 separately payable?

No. Medicare classifies the code as bundled status B and never pays it separately.

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

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