CPT code 96360: Hydration infusion, initial service2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $33.40 for 96360 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $29.38–$45.98.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 96360 covers

96360 reports IV fluids given to replace fluid volume, such as hydration for documented dehydration after vomiting or poor oral intake. A nurse or other clinical staff member commonly administers the infusion in an office, clinic, or emergency department. The service is fluid replacement, not the administration of a therapeutic medication; fluid used only as a drug carrier or to keep an IV line open does not establish hydration as a separately reportable service.

Report 96360 for an infusion lasting 31 minutes through one hour, supported by the infusion record and documentation of the clinical need for hydration. Report it once as the initial hydration service; 96361 is the add-on code for qualifying additional hydration time. When a medication is infused, distinguish its administration from any separately medically necessary hydration. Medicare treats this as an incident-to service and permits billing only when performed under physician supervision.

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 96360 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

96360 rates by state

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

How the 96360 rate is calculated

Each of 96360’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 96360

The CMS indicators that decide how 96360 is paid alongside other services.

96360 compared with similar codes

How to choose

96361IV hydrationEach additional hour

96360 covers the initial hydration interval. 96361 reports qualifying additional hydration time and must accompany an appropriate initial service.

96365IV drug infusionInitial, first hour

Choose 96360 for fluid replacement as the purpose of the infusion; choose 96365 for an infused therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic medication.

96374IV pushSingle or initial IV push

96360 reports an IV hydration infusion. 96374 reports administration of a medication by IV push.

Codes related to 96360

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates