CPT code 36571: Central access placement, age 5 years or older2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $1,341.05 for 36571 nationally in the office and $293.93 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $1,163.02–$1,846.41.

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

What 36571 covers

This service places a peripherally inserted central venous access device without a subcutaneous port or pump, with its catheter advanced from a peripheral vein to central venous access. It is commonly used when a patient needs ongoing intravenous medication, infusion therapy, or another form of central access. The procedure may be performed in a hospital or other setting equipped for vascular access placement and imaging.

Report this code for a patient age five or older when the device and placement meet the code definition. The code includes imaging guidance, image documentation, and radiological supervision and interpretation when performed; do not separately report those included imaging services for the placement. Related postoperative visits for 10 days are included in the global period. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 results in payment at 150% for a bilateral procedure. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of 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 36571 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

36571 rates by state

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

How the 36571 rate is calculated

Each of 36571’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 36571

36571 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

36571 compared with similar codes

How to choose

36570PIVAD insertionYounger than 5 years

Choose 36570 for the same type of peripherally inserted central access device placement when the patient is younger than five; 36571 is for age five or older.

36569PICC insertionAge 5 or older, no imaging

This is PICC placement for a patient age five or older without imaging guidance. 36571 describes peripherally inserted central access device placement and includes imaging guidance and related imaging services when performed.

36573PICC insertionAge 5+, imaging included

This is the imaging-guided PICC code for patients age five or older. Distinguish it from 36571 by the device and service definition documented for the placement.

36561Port placementAge five or older

This places a tunneled central venous catheter with an implanted port; 36571 places a peripherally inserted device without a port or pump.

Codes related to 36571

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