CPT code 96361: IV hydration, each additional hour2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports each additional hour of medically necessary intravenous fluid hydration beyond the initial hydration service, when supported by documented infusion time.
Medicare pays $12.13–$13.56 for 96361 in the office in Texas, from Beaumont, TX to Austin, TX. 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 96361 covers
This add-on represents continued intravenous hydration after the initial hydration service, such as fluid replacement for dehydration or volume depletion. It is commonly administered by nursing staff in an outpatient office or emergency department under a clinician’s order. The fluids are given to replenish volume or hydration, not merely to deliver a medication or keep an IV line open.
Report units from the documented hydration time under CPT infusion time rules, not from the number of bags or access sites. The record should identify the fluids, clinical reason, and infusion start and stop times; when medication administration occurs during the encounter, distinguish hydration time from drug-infusion time. CMS classifies 96361 as an add-on that must be billed with a primary procedure and is paid within that procedure’s global period. It is an incident-to service and may be billed 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 96361 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 payment localities
$12.13 to $13.56
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | $13.56 | Unavailable |
| Beaumont, TX | $12.13 | Unavailable |
| Brazoria, TX | $12.89 | Unavailable |
| Dallas, TX | $12.97 | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth, TX | $12.87 | Unavailable |
| Galveston, TX | $12.93 | Unavailable |
| Houston, TX | $13.11 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Texas | $12.50 | Unavailable |
How the 96361 rate is calculated
Each of 96361’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 · 96361
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.09
0.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.29
0.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.01
0.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.3900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$13.03
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 96361
The CMS indicators that decide how 96361 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 96361
IV hydration, each additional hour
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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 | 5 | Incident-to service. |
96361 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 96360Hydration infusionInitial service
- 96360 reports the initial hydration service; 96361 reports qualifying additional hydration time and must accompany a primary procedure.
- 96365IV drug infusionInitial, first hour
- Use 96365 for the initial therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic drug infusion. Use 96361 for separately supported hydration time, not the drug infusion itself.
- 96366IV infusion add-on hourTherapeutic or diagnostic, each additional hour
- 96366 reports additional time for a therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic drug infusion; 96361 is for additional hydration time.
96361 billing questions
Can 96361 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on and must be reported with a primary procedure.
Does each fluid bag count as a unit?
No. Units are based on documented hydration infusion time under CPT time rules, not the number of containers.
Can 96361 be reported during a medication infusion encounter?
Yes, when hydration is separately medically necessary and its time is distinct from the medication infusion. Fluid used only as a medication carrier or to keep the line open does not establish separate hydration service.
How does 96361 differ from 96366?
96361 represents additional time for IV hydration. 96366 represents additional time for a therapeutic, prophylactic, or diagnostic drug infusion.
What documentation supports 96361?
Document the reason for hydration, the fluid administered, and start and stop times sufficient to support the additional time reported. The service must also meet the physician-supervision condition for incident-to billing.
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
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