CPT code 36566: Tunneled catheter, two catheters, age 5+2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $4,405.58 for 36566 nationally in the office and $334.01 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $3,799.59–$6,248.86.

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

What 36566 covers

This service covers placement of two tunneled central venous catheters without an implanted port or pump in a patient age five years or older. The operator establishes central venous access and creates a subcutaneous tunnel for each catheter. Surgeons and interventional radiologists commonly perform the procedure in a hospital or other procedural setting for patients needing ongoing central access, such as for repeated infusions or other long-term therapy. The code describes two catheters, not a single catheter with two lumens.

Select this code when the record supports the patient’s age, two catheter placements, tunneled route, and absence of a port or pump. Document the indication, access and tunneling performed, and final catheter placement. CMS assigns a 10-day global period, including related postoperative visits during that period. 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% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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 36566 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

36566 rates by state

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

How the 36566 rate is calculated

Each of 36566’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 36566

36566 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

36566 compared with similar codes

How to choose

36558Tunneled catheterAge 5 years or older

Use 36558 for one tunneled catheter without a port or pump in a patient age five or older. Use 36566 when two catheters are inserted.

36565Tunneled catheterTwo catheters, no port or pump

Both describe two tunneled catheters without a port or pump; 36565 is for patients younger than five, while 36566 is for patients age five or older.

36563Port placementTwo catheters

36563 describes two tunneled catheters with a subcutaneous port. 36566 describes two tunneled catheters without a port or pump.

36556Central line insertionAge 5 years or older

36556 is for non-tunneled central catheter insertion in a patient age five or older. 36566 requires tunneled placement of two catheters.

Codes related to 36566

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

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