CPT code 36555: Central line insertion, under age 52026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports placement of a non-tunneled, centrally inserted venous catheter in a child younger than five, such as for intensive-care infusions or monitoring.
Medicare pays $209.73–$227.56 for 36555 in the office in Florida, from Rest of Florida to Miami, FL. 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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What 36555 covers
This service covers placement of a non-tunneled central venous catheter in a child younger than five. A physician or other qualified clinician may perform it in an operating room, intensive care unit, emergency department, or another setting requiring central access. Typical access routes include the internal jugular, subclavian, or femoral vein. The catheter provides central venous access for needs such as vasoactive medication, prolonged infusion, or hemodynamic monitoring; it is not a tunneled line, implanted port, or peripherally inserted catheter.
Select this code based on the patient’s age on the service date and the centrally inserted, non-tunneled catheter type. Documentation should identify the indication, catheter and access route, insertion, and the patient’s age. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay for an assistant-at-surgery service for this code, and co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting is 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 36555 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$209.73 to $227.56
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | $219.64 | $83.62 |
| Miami, FL | $227.56 | $87.78 |
| Rest of Florida | $209.73 | $81.36 |
How the 36555 rate is calculated
Each of 36555’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 · 36555
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.88
1.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense4.35
4.35 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.16
0.16 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.3900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$213.43
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36555
The CMS indicators that decide how 36555 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36555
Central line insertion, under age 5
| 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 | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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. |
36555 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36556Central line insertionAge 5 years or older
- Both describe non-tunneled, centrally inserted central venous catheter placement. The age cutoff separates them: 36555 is for patients younger than five; 36556 is for patients age five or older.
- 36557Tunneled catheterUnder age five, no port
- Use 36557 when the central catheter is tunneled in a patient younger than five. Code 36555 describes non-tunneled placement.
- 36568PICC insertionUnder 5, no imaging
- Code 36568 describes PICC insertion in a patient younger than five. Code 36555 is for a centrally inserted, non-tunneled catheter.
36555 billing questions
When should 36555 be used instead of 36556?
Use 36555 for a non-tunneled, centrally inserted central venous catheter in a patient younger than five. Code 36556 is the corresponding age-five-and-older code.
How is this different from a tunneled catheter insertion?
The catheter reported with 36555 is not tunneled beneath the skin. A tunneled central catheter in a child younger than five is reported with 36557.
Is a PICC reported with 36555?
No. A peripherally inserted central catheter is classified separately; 36568 is the PICC insertion code for a patient younger than five.
What documentation supports reporting 36555?
Document the patient’s age, the need for central venous access, the non-tunneled catheter, the insertion, and the access route.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported for this service?
Medicare does not pay an assistant-at-surgery service for 36555. Co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting 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
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