CPT code 36598: Device evaluation, fluoroscopic contrast study2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Use this code to evaluate an existing central venous access device by injecting contrast through it and assessing the device with fluoroscopic imaging.
Medicare pays $109.43–$120.29 for 36598 in the office in Illinois, from Rest of Illinois to Suburban Chicago, IL. 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.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 36598 covers
A clinician injects contrast through an existing central venous access device and uses fluoroscopy to assess its function and position. Radiologists and interventional radiologists commonly perform the study when a port or catheter is suspected of leaking, being obstructed, disconnected, or malpositioned. The service evaluates the device; it is not a catheter insertion or repositioning procedure.
Report the study when the record identifies the device, the reason for evaluation, the contrast injection, and the fluoroscopic findings. Payment for this injection or minor service is available only when no other physician service is billed that day. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. In a same-session multiple-procedure situation, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 results in payment at 150% for a bilateral procedure. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires medical-necessity documentation; 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 36598 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
4 payment localities
$109.43 to $120.29
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $119.54 | $33.61 |
| East St. Louis, IL | $111.11 | $32.44 |
| Rest of Illinois | $109.43 | $31.36 |
| Suburban Chicago, IL | $120.29 | $32.48 |
How the 36598 rate is calculated
Each of 36598’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 · 36598
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.72
0.72 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.68
2.68 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.07
0.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
3.4700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$115.90
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36598
The CMS indicators that decide how 36598 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36598
Device evaluation, fluoroscopic contrast study
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| 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 | 9 | The concept doesn’t apply. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
36598 without 50 · national office
$115.90
Device evaluation, fluoroscopic contrast study
36598-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$173.85
Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).
36598 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
36598 vs 36597 vs 36593: Medicare rates
How to choose
- 36597Catheter repositioningExisting central venous catheter
- 36598 evaluates an existing device with contrast and fluoroscopy; 36597 describes catheter repositioning.
- 36593Device declotThrombolytic treatment
- Choose 36593 when the service is declotting the device. Choose 36598 when contrast imaging is performed to evaluate it.
36598 billing questions
When should I report 36598 instead of 36597?
Report 36598 for contrast injection and fluoroscopic evaluation of an existing device. Report 36597 when the catheter is actually repositioned.
Does 36598 include the fluoroscopic imaging?
Fluoroscopy is part of the device evaluation described by this code. Do not separately report fluoroscopic imaging for the same study.
Is 36598 payable with another physician service on the same date?
CMS payment for this injection or minor service is limited to days when no other physician service is billed.
What documentation supports 36598?
Document the existing device, the clinical concern prompting evaluation, the contrast injection, and the fluoroscopic findings.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documentation of medical necessity. CMS does not permit co-surgeons or team surgery for this service.
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
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 36598 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist