CPT code 36660: Arterial catheter, newborn umbilical artery2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports placement of an arterial catheter through a newborn’s umbilical artery for diagnostic sampling, continuous monitoring, or therapy.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 36660 in California.
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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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 in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | Unavailable | $58.30 |
| Chico, CA | Unavailable | $58.04 |
| El Centro, CA | Unavailable | $58.05 |
| Fresno, CA | Unavailable | $58.04 |
| Hanford, CA | Unavailable | $58.04 |
| Los Angeles, CA | Unavailable | $60.25 |
| Madera, CA | Unavailable | $58.04 |
| Marin County, CA | Unavailable | $64.37 |
| Merced, CA | Unavailable | $58.04 |
| Modesto, CA | Unavailable | $58.04 |
| Napa, CA | Unavailable | $62.16 |
| Oxnard, CA | Unavailable | $59.55 |
| Redding, CA | Unavailable | $58.04 |
| Rest of California | Unavailable | $58.04 |
| Riverside, CA | Unavailable | $58.83 |
| Sacramento, CA | Unavailable | $59.54 |
| Salinas, CA | Unavailable | $59.27 |
| San Benito County, CA | Unavailable | $65.53 |
| San Diego, CA | Unavailable | $59.58 |
| San Francisco, CA | Unavailable | $64.29 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | Unavailable | $58.44 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | Unavailable | $65.21 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | Unavailable | $59.34 |
| Santa Maria, CA | Unavailable | $59.20 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | Unavailable | $59.87 |
| Stockton, CA | Unavailable | $58.04 |
| Vallejo, CA | Unavailable | $62.04 |
| Visalia, CA | Unavailable | $58.04 |
| Yuba City, CA | Unavailable | $58.04 |
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
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
| 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) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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
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%).
36660 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
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.
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
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