CPT code 36597: Catheter repositioning, existing central venous catheter2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports fluoroscopic repositioning of an existing central venous catheter when its tip has migrated and the catheter can be retained.
Medicare pays $112.40–$123.36 for 36597 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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On this page 9 sections
What 36597 covers
This procedure moves a previously placed central venous catheter back into an appropriate position under fluoroscopic guidance. A typical reason is a catheter tip that has migrated into the internal jugular vein. An interventional radiologist or other clinician performing vascular access procedures manipulates the existing catheter while viewing its position, rather than inserting a new one. The service is commonly performed in an interventional radiology suite.
Report 36597 when the record documents that the existing catheter was actually repositioned, including its position before and after manipulation. An injection performed only to evaluate the device is a different service; replacing the catheter also calls for a different code. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so routine preoperative and postoperative care on the procedure date is included. If multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and co-surgeon and team-surgery billing 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 36597 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
$112.40 to $123.36
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale, FL | $117.83 | $56.25 |
| Miami, FL | $123.36 | $60.08 |
| Rest of Florida | $112.40 | $54.29 |
How the 36597 rate is calculated
Each of 36597’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 · 36597
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.18
1.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.05
2.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.15
0.15 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
3.3800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$112.90
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36597
The CMS indicators that decide how 36597 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36597
Catheter repositioning, existing central venous catheter
| 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 | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
36597 without 51 · national office
$112.90
Catheter repositioning, existing central venous catheter
36597-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$56.45
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
36597 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36598Device evaluationFluoroscopic contrast study
- Choose 36597 when the catheter is repositioned under fluoroscopy. Choose 36598 for contrast injection to evaluate the device without repositioning.
- 36581Catheter replacementTunneled, without port
- 36597 retains and repositions the existing catheter. 36581 describes replacement of a tunneled central venous catheter.
- 36584PICC replacementComplete, with imaging
- 36597 corrects the position of an existing catheter; 36584 describes complete PICC replacement.
- 36593Device declotThrombolytic treatment
- 36597 addresses catheter position by moving the catheter. 36593 addresses an obstructed device through drug instillation.
36597 billing questions
How is repositioning different from evaluating the catheter under fluoroscopy?
Report 36597 when the existing catheter is moved to correct its position. If the clinician injects contrast to evaluate the device without repositioning it, consider 36598 instead.
What if the catheter is removed and replaced?
Replacement is different from repositioning the retained catheter. Select the replacement code for the type of central venous access device and the work performed.
What documentation supports 36597?
The procedure note should identify the existing catheter, describe the malposition and the manipulation performed, and record the resulting position.
Can fluoroscopic guidance or routine same-day care be billed separately?
Fluoroscopic guidance is part of this repositioning procedure. CMS also includes routine preoperative and postoperative care on the procedure date in its 0-day global period.
How do multiple procedures and surgical-team claims affect payment?
In a same-session multiple-procedure claim, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; CMS does not pay an assistant at surgery and does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for 36597.
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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