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CPT code 36660: Arterial catheter, newborn umbilical artery2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports placement of an arterial catheter through a newborn’s umbilical artery for diagnostic sampling, continuous monitoring, or therapy.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $57.45 for 36660 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 36660

Arterial catheter, newborn umbilical artery

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
1.37
Total RVUs
1.72
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$57.45

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 36660 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 36660 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 36660 covers

This service places a catheter into a newborn’s umbilical artery, usually in a neonatal intensive care setting. The access can support continuous arterial pressure monitoring, repeated blood sampling such as blood gas testing, or prescribed therapy. A physician or other qualified practitioner with appropriate training performs and documents the placement. The code is specific to the newborn umbilical artery; it does not describe an umbilical venous catheter or a one-time arterial puncture for a blood sample.

Report the service when the catheter is actually placed in the umbilical artery. The procedure note should identify the newborn, arterial route, placement, and clinical purpose. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. 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% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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 36660 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

36660 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$55.27
AlaskaUnavailable$79.89
ArizonaUnavailable$56.82
ArkansasUnavailable$55.00
Atlanta, GAUnavailable$58.21
Austin, TXUnavailable$57.82
Bakersfield, CAUnavailable$58.30
Baltimore area, MDUnavailable$59.42
Beaumont, TXUnavailable$56.44
Brazoria, TXUnavailable$57.22

36660 rates by state

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

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Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
36660 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 36660 rate is calculated

Each of 36660’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 · 36660

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work1.37

1.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.28

0.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.07

0.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

1.7200

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$57.45

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 36660

The CMS indicators that decide how 36660 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 36660

Arterial catheter, newborn umbilical artery

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

36660 without 51 · national facility

$57.45

Arterial catheter, newborn umbilical artery

36660-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$28.73

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%).

When to use modifier 51

36660 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 36660

    Arterial catheter, newborn umbilical artery1.37 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 36600

    Arterial blood draw, percutaneous puncture0.31 wRVU

    $27.39

  • 36620

    Arterial catheter, percutaneous placement0.98 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 36625

    Arterial catheter, cutdown approach2.06 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 36510

    Umbilical catheter, newborn diagnosis or therapy1.06 wRVU

    $86.17

How to choose

36600Arterial blood drawPercutaneous puncture
Use 36600 for arterial puncture and withdrawal of a diagnostic blood sample without placing an indwelling catheter. Use 36660 when a catheter is placed in a newborn’s umbilical artery.
36620Arterial catheterPercutaneous placement
36620 describes percutaneous arterial catheterization by a nonumbilical route; 36660 identifies catheter placement through a newborn’s umbilical artery.
36625Arterial catheterCutdown approach
36625 describes arterial catheterization by cutdown. The newborn umbilical-artery placement belongs to 36660.
36510Umbilical catheterNewborn diagnosis or therapy
36510 is for catheterization of a newborn’s umbilical vein. Use 36660 for arterial access; the vessel and purpose documented in the procedure note distinguish them.

Codes related to 36660

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

Codes related to 36660
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
36600Arterial blood draw, percutaneous punctureFor a one-time arterial blood draw rather than placement of an indwelling umbilical arterial catheter.$24.76–$35.45
36620Arterial catheter, percutaneous placementPercutaneous arterial catheterization by a nonumbilical route.No office rate
36625Arterial catheter, cutdown approachArterial catheterization by cutdown rather than newborn umbilical artery access.No office rate

36660 billing questions

How is this different from 36620?

36660 is for catheter placement through a newborn’s umbilical artery. Code 36620 describes percutaneous arterial catheterization by a route other than the umbilical artery.

Can a separate umbilical venous catheter be reported?

An umbilical venous catheter is a different service and uses a venous access code. Document the separate vessel and catheter placement rather than treating venous access as part of 36660.

Does modifier 50 apply when both sides are involved?

No. CMS specifies that bilateral adjustment does not apply and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.

Is same-day evaluation and postoperative care separately included?

The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. The code reports the catheter placement itself.

How does the multiple-procedure reduction work?

For procedures performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies the standard 50% reduction to the others.

What documentation supports an assistant-at-surgery claim?

The record must document the medical necessity of the assistant. CMS does not permit co-surgeon or team-surgery payment for this code.

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
RVUs for 36660PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,541 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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