No office rate
36600 is for arterial specimen collection by puncture. 36620 is for arterial catheter placement, commonly when access or pressure monitoring is needed beyond a single draw.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
36600 Arterial blood draw Medicare reimbursement rates
Reports a percutaneous arterial puncture to collect blood, commonly for blood-gas testing when an arterial specimen is clinically needed. Compare 36600 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 36600?
The service location and office or facility setting determine which base rate applies. These are the supported base rates for the 109 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$24.76–$35.45
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $10.69 per service.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Where 36600 pays more and less
109 payment localities
$24.76 to $35.45
Arterial access
About 36600: Percutaneous arterial blood collection
Reports a percutaneous arterial puncture to collect blood, commonly for blood-gas testing when an arterial specimen is clinically needed.
This service covers obtaining an arterial specimen by puncturing an artery, commonly the radial artery, with a needle. It is often performed at the bedside in an emergency department, hospital, or outpatient setting when arterial blood is needed for blood-gas or other diagnostic testing. A physician or other qualified clinician may perform the collection; the laboratory analysis is a separate service.
Report the puncture when arterial blood is actually collected, not for venous sampling or simply because an arterial catheter is present. Documentation should identify the reason for arterial sampling and support that an arterial specimen was obtained. Report the applicable laboratory analysis separately when performed and separately reportable. Under the CMS multiple-procedure reduction rule, when this service is performed in the same session as other procedures subject to that reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are paid at 50%.
CMS billing rules for 36600
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.31 · 38%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.49 · 60%
- Malpractice RVU0.02 · 2%
9K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1531 by national volume
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.
36600 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
$16.97–$24.85
36410 describes venous blood collection requiring a clinician's skill; 36600 is used when blood is obtained from an artery.
82803
No office rateBlood gases any combination
82803 is the laboratory blood-gas analysis, not the arterial puncture used to obtain the specimen.
See how rates vary across the country
36600 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
Explore a state
Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
$24.76
$33.33
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $33.33 | 1 |
| AL | $25.05 | 1 |
| AR | $24.76 | 1 |
| AZ | $26.79 | 1 |
| CA | $28.83–$35.45 | 29 |
| CO | $28.41 | 1 |
| CT | $29.00 | 1 |
| DC | $30.94 | 1 |
| DE | $27.18 | 1 |
| FL | $27.00–$29.08 | 3 |
| GA | $25.75–$27.82 | 2 |
| GU | $29.35 | 1 |
| HI | $29.35 | 1 |
| IA | $25.59 | 1 |
| ID | $25.73 | 1 |
| IL | $26.34–$28.42 | 4 |
| IN | $25.85 | 1 |
| KS | $25.49 | 1 |
| KY | $25.52 | 1 |
| LA | $25.48–$26.51 | 2 |
| MA | $28.29–$30.91 | 2 |
| MD | $27.63–$30.94 | 3 |
| ME | $25.83–$26.99 | 2 |
| MI | $26.05–$27.27 | 2 |
| MN | $27.39 | 1 |
| MO | $25.11–$26.60 | 3 |
| MS | $24.94 | 1 |
| MT | $27.39 | 1 |
| NC | $26.05 | 1 |
| ND | $26.99 | 1 |
| NE | $25.71 | 1 |
| NH | $27.98 | 1 |
| NJ | $29.37–$30.71 | 2 |
| NM | $26.16 | 1 |
| NV | $27.29 | 1 |
| NY | $26.37–$31.72 | 5 |
| OH | $25.97 | 1 |
| OK | $25.49 | 1 |
| OR | $27.12–$29.20 | 2 |
| PA | $26.01–$28.38 | 2 |
| PR | $27.56 | 1 |
| RI | $28.05 | 1 |
| SC | $26.04 | 1 |
| SD | $26.95 | 1 |
| TN | $25.59 | 1 |
| TX | $25.87–$28.28 | 8 |
| UT | $26.34 | 1 |
| VA | $26.91–$30.94 | 2 |
| VI | $27.56 | 1 |
| VT | $26.90 | 1 |
| WA | $28.23–$31.50 | 2 |
| WI | $26.24 | 1 |
| WV | $25.53 | 1 |
| WY | $27.22 | 1 |
Compare 36600 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Office $25.05 | Facility $12.49 |
| Alaska* | Office $33.33 | Facility $18.03 |
| Arizona | Office $26.79 | Facility $12.87 |
| Arkansas | Office $24.76 | Facility $12.42 |
| Atlanta | Office $27.82 | Facility $13.22 |
| Austin | Office $28.28 | Facility $13.09 |
| Bakersfield | Office $28.90 | Facility $13.15 |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office $28.91 | Facility $13.50 |
| Beaumont | Office $25.87 | Facility $12.80 |
| Brazoria | Office $27.18 | Facility $12.94 |
| Chicago | Office $28.41 | Facility $13.97 |
| Chico | Office $28.83 | Facility $13.08 |
| Colorado | Office $28.41 | Facility $13.13 |
| Connecticut | Office $29.00 | Facility $13.53 |
| Dallas | Office $27.32 | Facility $13.02 |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office $30.94 | Facility $14.02 |
| Delaware | Office $27.18 | Facility $12.99 |
| Detroit | Office $27.27 | Facility $13.41 |
| East St. Louis | Office $26.76 | Facility $13.54 |
| El Centro | Office $28.83 | Facility $13.09 |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office $28.14 | Facility $13.59 |
| Fort Worth | Office $27.17 | Facility $13.01 |
| Fresno | Office $28.83 | Facility $13.08 |
| Galveston | Office $27.24 | Facility $12.98 |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $28.83 | Facility $13.08 |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office $29.35 | Facility $13.02 |
| Houston | Office $27.61 | Facility $13.35 |
| Idaho | Office $25.73 | Facility $12.51 |
| Indiana | Office $25.85 | Facility $12.54 |
| Iowa | Office $25.59 | Facility $12.45 |
| Kansas | Office $25.49 | Facility $12.50 |
| Kentucky | Office $25.52 | Facility $12.75 |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $30.58 | Facility $13.59 |
| Madera | Office $28.83 | Facility $13.08 |
| Manhattan | Office $31.09 | Facility $14.41 |
| Merced | Office $28.83 | Facility $13.08 |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office $30.91 | Facility $13.77 |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office $26.38 | Facility $12.89 |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office $28.38 | Facility $13.42 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office $26.60 | Facility $12.93 |
| Miami | Office $29.08 | Facility $14.13 |
| Minnesota | Office $27.39 | Facility $12.61 |
| Mississippi | Office $24.94 | Facility $12.57 |
| Modesto | Office $28.83 | Facility $13.08 |
| Montana** | Office $27.39 | Facility $13.03 |
| Napa | Office $32.92 | Facility $13.99 |
| Nebraska | Office $25.71 | Facility $12.46 |
| Nevada** | Office $27.29 | Facility $12.92 |
| New Hampshire | Office $27.98 | Facility $13.03 |
| New Mexico | Office $26.16 | Facility $12.99 |
| New Orleans | Office $26.51 | Facility $13.00 |
| North Carolina | Office $26.05 | Facility $12.65 |
| North Dakota** | Office $26.99 | Facility $12.63 |
| Northern Nj | Office $30.71 | Facility $14.04 |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office $31.72 | Facility $14.64 |
| Ohio | Office $25.97 | Facility $12.86 |
| Oklahoma | Office $25.49 | Facility $12.66 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $30.41 | Facility $13.43 |
| Portland | Office $29.20 | Facility $13.24 |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office $29.55 | Facility $13.82 |
| Puerto Rico | Office $27.56 | Facility $13.04 |
| Queens | Office $31.33 | Facility $14.35 |
| Redding | Office $28.83 | Facility $13.08 |
| Rest Of California | Office $28.83 | Facility $13.08 |
| Rest Of Florida | Office $27.00 | Facility $13.27 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office $25.75 | Facility $12.94 |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office $26.34 | Facility $13.23 |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office $25.48 | Facility $12.77 |
| Rest Of Maine | Office $25.83 | Facility $12.61 |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office $27.63 | Facility $13.10 |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office $28.29 | Facility $13.16 |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office $26.05 | Facility $12.94 |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office $25.11 | Facility $12.73 |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office $29.37 | Facility $13.69 |
| Rest Of New York | Office $26.37 | Facility $12.73 |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office $27.12 | Facility $12.82 |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office $26.01 | Facility $12.83 |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $26.49 | Facility $12.86 |
| Rest Of Washington | Office $28.23 | Facility $13.11 |
| Rhode Island | Office $28.05 | Facility $13.22 |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $29.05 | Facility $13.31 |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $30.12 | Facility $13.42 |
| Salinas | Office $30.00 | Facility $13.36 |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $30.60 | Facility $13.42 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $34.72 | Facility $14.47 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $34.70 | Facility $14.45 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $35.45 | Facility $14.74 |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $35.36 | Facility $14.65 |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $29.53 | Facility $13.17 |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $30.82 | Facility $13.36 |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $30.09 | Facility $13.34 |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $31.12 | Facility $13.48 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office $31.50 | Facility $13.88 |
| South Carolina | Office $26.04 | Facility $12.77 |
| South Dakota** | Office $26.95 | Facility $12.58 |
| Southern Maine | Office $26.99 | Facility $12.76 |
| Stockton | Office $28.83 | Facility $13.08 |
| Suburban Chicago | Office $28.42 | Facility $13.67 |
| Tennessee | Office $25.59 | Facility $12.53 |
| Utah | Office $26.34 | Facility $12.84 |
| Vallejo | Office $32.88 | Facility $13.95 |
| Vermont | Office $26.90 | Facility $12.68 |
| Virgin Islands | Office $27.56 | Facility $13.04 |
| Virginia | Office $26.91 | Facility $12.80 |
| Visalia | Office $28.83 | Facility $13.08 |
| West Virginia | Office $25.53 | Facility $13.05 |
| Wisconsin | Office $26.24 | Facility $12.48 |
| Wyoming** | Office $27.22 | Facility $12.85 |
| Yuba City | Office $28.83 | Facility $13.08 |
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36600 billing questions
When should 36600 be reported instead of 36620?
Use 36600 for a percutaneous arterial puncture to collect a specimen. Code 36620 describes placement of an arterial catheter, generally for ongoing access or monitoring.
Does 36600 include blood-gas analysis?
No. The puncture collects the specimen; report the applicable laboratory analysis separately when performed and separately reportable.
Is 36600 reported for venous blood collection?
No. It represents collection from an artery; venous collection is coded according to the venipuncture service performed.
How many units should be reported for multiple tests from one draw?
The code represents the arterial collection, not each analyte tested. Do not count separate blood-gas results as separate arterial punctures.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect 36600?
When the reduction applies to procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedures are paid at 50%.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
4,53436596,,Mech remov tunneled cv cath,A,,0.73,2.68,,0.39,,0.11,3.52,1.23,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,53536597,,Reposition venous catheter,A,,1.18,2.05,,0.23,,0.15,3.38,1.56,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,53636598,,Inj w/fluor eval cv device,T,,0.72,2.68,,0.12,,0.07,3.47,0.91,9,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,53736600,,Withdrawal of arterial blood,A,,0.31,0.49,,0.06,,0.02,0.82,0.39,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,53836620,,Insertion catheter artery,A,,0.98,0.16,NA,0.16,,0.08,1.22,1.22,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,53936625,,Insertion catheter artery,A,,2.06,0.47,NA,0.47,,0.33,2.86,2.86,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,54036640,,Insertion catheter artery,A,,2.05,0.83,NA,0.83,,0.14,3.02,3.02,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00