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Billing code 35131: Arterial repairMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports direct surgical repair of an arterial defect in the groin, commonly involving the femoral artery, when the documented condition and site support this service.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities140 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $1,259.21 for 35131 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 35131

Arterial repair

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
25.74
Total RVUs
37.70
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$1,259.21

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 35131 → · 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 35131 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 35131 covers

A vascular surgeon performs open direct repair of an arterial defect in the groin, commonly involving the femoral artery. The service may address a localized aneurysm or pseudoaneurysm, with the surgeon repairing the affected vessel directly. It is generally performed in an operating room when the arterial condition requires surgical reconstruction; the operative report should identify the artery, the defect, and the repair performed.

Select this code for the groin-site defect repair, rather than the rupture-specific groin code when the artery is documented as ruptured. Documentation should make the site and condition clear and distinguish the repair from treatment of a traumatic arterial injury. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available; co-surgeon payment requires 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 35131 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

35131 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$1,141.57
Alaska*Unavailable$1,602.43
ArizonaUnavailable$1,222.07
ArkansasUnavailable$1,127.51
AtlantaUnavailable$1,308.72
AustinUnavailable$1,246.42
BakersfieldUnavailable$1,207.19
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$1,338.07
BeaumontUnavailable$1,227.42
BrazoriaUnavailable$1,216.26

35131 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
35131 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 35131 rate is calculated

Each of 35131’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 · 35131

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 25.74Practice expense 5.40Malpractice 6.56

37.7000 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$1,259.21

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 35131

35131 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 35131

Arterial repair

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 · 35131

Arterial repair

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

35131 without 50 · national facility

$1,259.21

Arterial repair

35131-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$1,888.82

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

35131 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

35131 vs 35132 vs 35141 vs 35226: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 35131
    Arterial repair · 25.74 wRVU
    —
  • 35132
    Artery repair · 31.76 wRVU
    —
  • 35141
    Artery repair · 20.39 wRVU
    —
  • 35226
    Vessel repair · 14.92 wRVU
    —

How to choose

35132Artery repair
Choose 35131 for a groin arterial defect repair; 35132 identifies repair of a ruptured artery in the groin.
35141Artery repair
Both are arterial defect repair codes, but 35141 is associated with the thigh site rather than the groin.
35226Vessel repair
35226 describes direct repair of a lower-extremity blood vessel in a different clinical context, such as traumatic vessel injury, rather than the groin defect repair represented by 35131.

Codes related to 35131

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

Codes related to 35131
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
35132Artery repairGroin artery repair when rupture is documented.No office rate
35141Artery repairRelated arterial defect repair code for a different lower-extremity site.No office rate
35151Arterial repairRelated defect repair code for the popliteal artery.No office rate
Used instead
35226Vessel repairDirect lower-extremity vessel repair used for a different clinical circumstance, such as traumatic injury.No office rate

35131 billing questions

How does this differ from 35132?

35131 is for a groin-site arterial defect repair. Use 35132 when the operative documentation identifies rupture of the groin artery.

What should the operative report identify?

Document the artery and groin site, the condition being repaired, and the direct repair performed. The record should distinguish a defect repair from a ruptured artery or traumatic injury.

How are bilateral procedures reported?

CMS pays bilateral reporting with modifier 50 at 150%. The record should support repair on both sides.

Does the 90-day global period include postoperative visits?

Yes. The day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included in the global period.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment may be available. Co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation; team surgery is not permitted.

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 35131PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,276 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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