Billing code 36555: Central line insertionMedicare rate & RVUs
Reports placement of a non-tunneled, centrally inserted venous catheter in a child younger than five, such as for intensive-care infusions or monitoring.
Medicare pays $213.43 for 36555 nationally in the office and $79.16 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $190.35–$282.08.
Medicare rate · 36555
Central line insertion
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
- Work RVUs
- 1.88
- Total RVUs
- 6.39
- Global days
- 000
National rate · 2026
$213.43
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
See every locality for 36555 → · 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
What 36555 covers
This service covers placement of a non-tunneled central venous catheter in a child younger than five. A physician or other qualified clinician may perform it in an operating room, intensive care unit, emergency department, or another setting requiring central access. Typical access routes include the internal jugular, subclavian, or femoral vein. The catheter provides central venous access for needs such as vasoactive medication, prolonged infusion, or hemodynamic monitoring; it is not a tunneled line, implanted port, or peripherally inserted catheter.
Select this code based on the patient’s age on the service date and the centrally inserted, non-tunneled catheter type. Documentation should identify the indication, catheter and access route, insertion, and the patient’s age. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay for an assistant-at-surgery service for this code, and co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting 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 36555 pays more and less
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
109 payment localities
$190.35 to $282.08
109 of 109 payment localities
36555 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.
$190.35
$254.02
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $251.87 | 1 |
| AL | $192.95 | 1 |
| AR | $190.35 | 1 |
| AZ | $208.16 | 1 |
| CA | $225.97–$282.08 | 29 |
| CO | $222.31 | 1 |
| CT | $227.00 | 1 |
| DC | $243.29 | 1 |
| DE | $211.46 | 1 |
| FL | $209.73–$227.56 | 3 |
| GA | $198.77–$217.02 | 2 |
| GU | $231.09 | 1 |
| HI | $231.09 | 1 |
| IA | $197.86 | 1 |
| ID | $198.99 | 1 |
| IL | $203.80–$221.92 | 4 |
| IN | $200.08 | 1 |
| KS | $196.83 | 1 |
| KY | $196.85 | 1 |
| LA | $196.50–$205.59 | 2 |
| MA | $221.05–$243.61 | 2 |
| MD | $215.36–$243.29 | 3 |
| ME | $199.79–$210.15 | 2 |
| MI | $201.48–$212.01 | 2 |
| MN | $213.88 | 1 |
| MO | $193.24–$206.47 | 3 |
| MS | $191.84 | 1 |
| MT | $213.42 | 1 |
| NC | $201.77 | 1 |
| ND | $210.26 | 1 |
| NE | $198.92 | 1 |
| NH | $218.72 | 1 |
| NJ | $229.83–$241.00 | 2 |
| NM | $202.45 | 1 |
| NV | $212.68 | 1 |
| NY | $204.58–$249.49 | 5 |
| OH | $200.83 | 1 |
| OK | $196.69 | 1 |
| OR | $211.26–$229.20 | 2 |
| PA | $201.22–$221.55 | 2 |
| PR | $214.95 | 1 |
| RI | $218.84 | 1 |
| SC | $201.59 | 1 |
| SD | $209.88 | 1 |
| TN | $197.74 | 1 |
| TX | $199.98–$221.38 | 8 |
| UT | $204.17 | 1 |
| VA | $209.39–$243.29 | 2 |
| VI | $214.95 | 1 |
| VT | $209.34 | 1 |
| WA | $220.67–$248.58 | 2 |
| WI | $203.63 | 1 |
| WV | $196.70 | 1 |
| WY | $212.04 | 1 |
How the 36555 rate is calculated
Each of 36555’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 · 36555
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.88Practice expense 4.35Malpractice 0.16
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36555
The CMS indicators that decide how 36555 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36555
Central line insertion
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| 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) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
36555 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
36555 vs 36556 vs 36557 vs 36568: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 36556Central line insertion
- Both describe non-tunneled, centrally inserted central venous catheter placement. The age cutoff separates them: 36555 is for patients younger than five; 36556 is for patients age five or older.
- 36557Tunneled catheter
- Use 36557 when the central catheter is tunneled in a patient younger than five. Code 36555 describes non-tunneled placement.
- 36568PICC insertion
- Code 36568 describes PICC insertion in a patient younger than five. Code 36555 is for a centrally inserted, non-tunneled catheter.
36555 billing questions
When should 36555 be used instead of 36556?
Use 36555 for a non-tunneled, centrally inserted central venous catheter in a patient younger than five. Code 36556 is the corresponding age-five-and-older code.
How is this different from a tunneled catheter insertion?
The catheter reported with 36555 is not tunneled beneath the skin. A tunneled central catheter in a child younger than five is reported with 36557.
Is a PICC reported with 36555?
No. A peripherally inserted central catheter is classified separately; 36568 is the PICC insertion code for a patient younger than five.
What documentation supports reporting 36555?
Document the patient’s age, the need for central venous access, the non-tunneled catheter, the insertion, and the access route.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported for this service?
Medicare does not pay an assistant-at-surgery service for 36555. Co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting are 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
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