Billing code 36572: PICC insertionMedicare rate & RVUs
Reports placement of a peripherally inserted central catheter in a child younger than 5 when imaging guidance is used for catheter insertion.
Medicare pays $364.74 for 36572 nationally in the office and $73.48 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $319.12–$499.67.
Medicare rate · 36572
PICC insertion
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- Work RVUs
- 1.77
- Total RVUs
- 10.92
- Global days
- 000
National rate · 2026
$364.74
Office setting, before claim adjustments.
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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 36572 covers
This service covers placement of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) in a patient younger than 5 years, using imaging guidance to direct placement and confirm catheter position. A PICC enters through a peripheral vein, commonly in the arm, and is advanced to a central venous location for therapies such as prolonged intravenous medication or nutrition. The procedure is commonly performed in a hospital by a physician or other qualified practitioner involved in pediatric vascular access, including interventional radiology teams.
Select this code when the patient is younger than 5 and imaging guidance is used; age 5 or older falls under a different code. The record should support the patient’s age, the PICC placement, and use of imaging guidance. The code includes the imaging guidance and associated radiological supervision, interpretation, and documentation. It has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this service. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this procedure, and co-surgeons and team surgery are 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 36572 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
$319.12 to $499.67
109 of 109 payment localities
36572 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.
$319.12
$445.32
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
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| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $410.39 | 1 |
| AL | $324.26 | 1 |
| AR | $319.12 | 1 |
| AZ | $354.43 | 1 |
| CA | $390.97–$499.67 | 29 |
| CO | $382.93 | 1 |
| CT | $390.43 | 1 |
| DC | $421.85 | 1 |
| DE | $360.71 | 1 |
| FL | $355.31–$388.20 | 3 |
| GA | $333.94–$371.16 | 2 |
| GU | $402.51 | 1 |
| HI | $402.51 | 1 |
| IA | $334.95 | 1 |
| ID | $337.00 | 1 |
| IL | $342.93–$378.88 | 4 |
| IN | $339.19 | 1 |
| KS | $332.46 | 1 |
| KY | $331.01 | 1 |
| LA | $330.13–$348.14 | 2 |
| MA | $380.00–$424.22 | 2 |
| MD | $368.31–$421.85 | 3 |
| ME | $338.10–$359.34 | 2 |
| MI | $339.74–$359.34 | 2 |
| MN | $368.21 | 1 |
| MO | $323.39–$350.44 | 3 |
| MS | $321.36 | 1 |
| MT | $364.72 | 1 |
| NC | $342.10 | 1 |
| ND | $360.37 | 1 |
| NE | $337.20 | 1 |
| NH | $376.05 | 1 |
| NJ | $395.26–$416.69 | 2 |
| NM | $341.46 | 1 |
| NV | $363.81 | 1 |
| NY | $347.64–$431.19 | 5 |
| OH | $338.85 | 1 |
| OK | $331.18 | 1 |
| OR | $361.36–$396.91 | 2 |
| PA | $339.88–$379.45 | 2 |
| PR | $367.91 | 1 |
| RI | $374.91 | 1 |
| SC | $340.97 | 1 |
| SD | $359.86 | 1 |
| TN | $334.19 | 1 |
| TX | $337.37–$381.32 | 8 |
| UT | $346.09 | 1 |
| VA | $357.51–$421.85 | 2 |
| VI | $367.91 | 1 |
| VT | $358.13 | 1 |
| WA | $379.56–$434.06 | 2 |
| WI | $347.13 | 1 |
| WV | $328.83 | 1 |
| WY | $362.83 | 1 |
How the 36572 rate is calculated
Each of 36572’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 · 36572
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.77Practice expense 8.93Malpractice 0.22
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36572
The CMS indicators that decide how 36572 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36572
PICC 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. |
36572 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
36572 vs 36568 vs 36573: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
36572 billing questions
How does this code differ from 36568?
Both describe PICC placement in a child younger than 5. Use 36572 when imaging guidance is used; 36568 describes placement without imaging guidance.
When should 36573 be reported instead?
Use 36573 for imaging-guided PICC placement when the patient is age 5 or older. The age threshold distinguishes it from 36572.
Is imaging guidance reported separately?
Imaging guidance, radiological supervision and interpretation, and documentation are included in this code. Do not treat those elements as separate services under this code.
Can modifier 50 be used if both arms are involved?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this service, so modifier 50 is not appropriate.
What are the assistant and co-surgeon rules?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 36572. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What does the 0-day global period mean?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure. The code has no days of postoperative global care after the date of service.
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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