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Billing code 34203: Arterial thrombectomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports open removal of an embolus or thrombus from the popliteal-tibio-peroneal arterial territory through a leg incision, with or without catheter assistance.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities1.4K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $862.41 for 34203 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 34203

Arterial thrombectomy

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
17.41
Total RVUs
25.82
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$862.41

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 34203 → · 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.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 34203 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 34203 covers

A vascular surgeon uses a leg incision to reach the popliteal-tibio-peroneal arterial territory and remove an obstructing embolus or thrombus. The surgeon may pass a catheter through the opened artery to help clear the vessel. This is an open operation for arterial obstruction affecting lower-extremity blood flow, such as an acute limb ischemia presentation when this arterial territory is treated.

Choose this code when the operative report supports clot removal in the popliteal-tibio-peroneal arteries; the femoropopliteal territory is represented by a different code. Documentation should identify the treated arterial segment, the leg incision, and the clot-removal work. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 34203 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

34203 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$781.47
Alaska*Unavailable$1,095.20
ArizonaUnavailable$836.95
ArkansasUnavailable$771.79
AtlantaUnavailable$896.09
AustinUnavailable$854.36
BakersfieldUnavailable$828.20
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$916.54
BeaumontUnavailable$839.95
BrazoriaUnavailable$833.24

34203 rates by state

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

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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
34203 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 34203 rate is calculated

Each of 34203’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 · 34203

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 17.41Practice expense 3.97Malpractice 4.44

25.8200 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$862.41

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 34203

34203 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 34203

Arterial thrombectomy

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)2Paid.
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.09/0.84/0.07Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 34203

Arterial thrombectomy

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

34203 without 50 · national facility

$862.41

Arterial thrombectomy

34203-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,293.62

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).

When to use modifier 50

34203 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

34203 vs 34201 vs 37184 vs 37211: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 34203
    Arterial thrombectomy · 17.41 wRVU
    —
  • 34201
    Arterial embolectomy · 18.99 wRVU
    —
  • 37184
    Arterial thrombectomy · 8.2 wRVU
    $1,630.97
  • 37211
    Arterial thrombolysis · 7.56 wRVU
    —

How to choose

34201Arterial embolectomy
Both describe open arterial clot removal through a leg incision, but the treated arterial territory distinguishes them: femoropopliteal for 34201 and popliteal-tibio-peroneal for 34203.
37184Arterial thrombectomy
37184 describes percutaneous mechanical thrombectomy of an initial vessel. Use 34203 for the open leg-incision clot-removal procedure in the popliteal-tibio-peroneal territory.
37211Arterial thrombolysis
37211 represents catheter-directed thrombolysis in an artery. It describes infusion-based clot treatment rather than the open surgical removal reported with 34203.

Codes related to 34203

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

Codes related to 34203
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
34201Arterial embolectomyOpen clot removal in the femoropopliteal territory; 34203 addresses the popliteal-tibio-peroneal territory.No office rate
Used instead
37184Arterial thrombectomyPercutaneous mechanical thrombectomy of an initial vessel uses a different approach from this open operation.$1,422.27–$2,215.23
37211Arterial thrombolysisCatheter-directed arterial thrombolysis is a different treatment approach for arterial occlusion.No office rate

34203 billing questions

How does this differ from 34201?

Use 34203 for clot removal in the popliteal-tibio-peroneal arterial territory. Code 34201 represents the femoropopliteal territory.

Can catheter assistance be part of this service?

Yes. The open clot-removal service can include catheter assistance; the operative report should identify the treated arterial territory and removal work.

When is modifier 50 relevant?

For a bilateral procedure, modifier 50 applies under the CMS bilateral rule, with payment at 150%.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation.

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 34203PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,187 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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