CPT code 36591: Port blood draw, implantable venous access device2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Maryland
Report 36591 when blood is collected through a completely implanted venous access device, such as an oncology port, rather than a PICC.
Medicare pays $30.73–$35.78 for 36591 in the office in Maryland, from Rest of Maryland to Washington, DC area. 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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On this page 9 sections
What 36591 covers
Report 36591 when blood is withdrawn for specimen testing through a completely implanted venous access device, such as a chest port used for oncology treatment. The service is collection through the port, not catheter placement or removal and not laboratory analysis. Nursing staff commonly access ports in oncology clinics and infusion centers under practice protocols; documentation should identify the implanted device and confirm that a specimen was obtained through it.
Use 36592 for blood collection from a PICC instead. Document the device type and collection method, and report ordered laboratory analyses separately. CMS classifies 36591 as technical-component-only, with interpretation covered by a separate code. It is an injection or minor service payable only when no other physician service is billed that day; when another physician service is billed on the same date, separate payment for 36591 is not expected.
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 36591 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.
3 payment localities
$30.73 to $35.78
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore area, MD | $32.67 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Maryland | $30.73 | Unavailable |
| Washington, DC area | $35.78 | Unavailable |
How the 36591 rate is calculated
Each of 36591’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 · 36591
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.90
0.90 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.01
0.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.9100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$30.39
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36591
The CMS indicators that decide how 36591 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36591
Port blood draw, implantable venous access device
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 3 | Technical component only. |
36591 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36592Catheter blood collectionEstablished venous catheter
- 36591 is for blood collection through a completely implanted venous access device. 36592 is used when blood is collected from a PICC.
- 96523Port irrigationImplanted drug-delivery access device
- Use 96523 for irrigation of an implanted venous access device without blood specimen collection when irrigation is the only service performed; use 36591 when blood is obtained through the device.
- 36569PICC insertionAge 5 or older, no imaging
- 36569 reports PICC insertion for a patient age five or older without imaging guidance. It is a catheter placement service, not blood collection through an existing implanted port.
- 36593Device declotThrombolytic treatment
- 36593 reports declotting a vascular access device. It describes treatment of an occluded device, not specimen collection through a functioning port.
36591 billing questions
When should 36591 be used instead of 36592?
Use 36591 for collection through a completely implanted venous access device, such as an implanted port. Use 36592 for collection from a PICC.
Does 36591 include the laboratory tests?
No. It reports specimen collection through the implanted device; report ordered laboratory analyses separately.
Can 36591 be reported for a port flush without a blood specimen?
No. 36591 describes collection of a blood specimen. Irrigation of an implanted venous access device without specimen collection is represented by 96523 when irrigation is the only service performed.
Can 36591 receive separate payment with an office visit on the same date?
CMS lists this as an injection or minor service payable only when no other physician service is billed that day. A same-day physician service means separate payment for 36591 is not expected.
What documentation supports reporting 36591?
Document that the device was a completely implanted venous access device and that blood was obtained through it for specimen testing.
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
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