Billing code 35879: Bypass revisionMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $841.03 for 35879 nationally in a facility.

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

What 35879 covers

Code 35879 describes revision of a lower-extremity arterial bypass in the femoral-popliteal territory using a vein patch. The vascular surgeon revises the bypass or its junction with the artery and uses vein tissue to patch the repair, often when narrowing limits flow. The service is typically performed in an operating room for a patient with a prior femoral-popliteal bypass and a documented graft or anastomotic problem.

Select the code based on bypass territory and patch material: this code represents the femoral-popliteal territory with a vein patch, not a more distal bypass or a nonautogenous patch. The operative report should identify the bypass territory, the site and work of the revision, and use of vein for the patch; document any thrombectomy performed. This major surgery has a 90-day global period that includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. An assistant at surgery may be paid; 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 35879 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

35879 rates by state

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

How the 35879 rate is calculated

Each of 35879’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 35879

35879 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

35879 compared with similar codes

How to choose

35881Bypass revision

Both use a vein patch for bypass revision; 35879 is for the femoral-popliteal territory, while 35881 is for the more distal femoral-tibial or femoral-peroneal territory.

35883Graft revision

Both address femoral-popliteal bypass revision, but 35879 uses a vein patch and 35883 uses a nonautogenous patch.

35876Graft thrombectomy

35876 describes graft thrombectomy with revision. Use 35879 for the specified femoral-popliteal bypass revision using a vein patch.

Codes related to 35879

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