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Billing code 36620: Arterial catheterMedicare rate & RVUs

Report percutaneous arterial catheter placement for invasive pressure monitoring or arterial sampling, such as an arterial line placed during critical care or surgery.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities502.6K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $40.75 for 36620 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 36620

Arterial catheter

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
0.98
Total RVUs
1.22
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$40.75

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 36620 → · 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 36620 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 36620 covers

This service covers placing an arterial catheter through the skin for ongoing pressure monitoring or repeated arterial sampling. Anesthesia professionals, intensivists, and other clinicians commonly place an arterial line in an operating room or intensive care setting when continuous blood-pressure data or ready access for blood-gas sampling is needed. The percutaneous method distinguishes this service from placement using an open cutdown.

Select the code when the clinician places the catheter percutaneously, rather than for a one-time arterial blood draw alone. The record should support the reason for access, the arterial site, and catheter placement. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay assistant-at-surgery services for this code; 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 36620 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

36620 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$38.92
Alaska*Unavailable$56.26
ArizonaUnavailable$40.20
ArkansasUnavailable$38.70
AtlantaUnavailable$41.47
AustinUnavailable$40.82
BakersfieldUnavailable$40.84
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$42.30
BeaumontUnavailable$40.08
BrazoriaUnavailable$40.38

36620 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
36620 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 36620 rate is calculated

Each of 36620’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 · 36620

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 0.98Practice expense 0.16Malpractice 0.08

1.2200 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$40.75

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 36620

The CMS indicators that decide how 36620 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 36620

Arterial catheter

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

36620 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

36620 vs 36625 vs 36600 vs 36660: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 36620
    Arterial catheter · 0.98 wRVU
    —
  • 36625
    Arterial catheter · 2.06 wRVU
    —
  • 36600
    Arterial blood draw · 0.31 wRVU
    $27.39
  • 36660
    Arterial catheter · 1.37 wRVU
    —

How to choose

36625Arterial catheter
Use 36620 for percutaneous catheter placement; 36625 describes placement that uses a cutdown.
36600Arterial blood draw
36600 is for arterial puncture and blood withdrawal. Use 36620 when a catheter is placed for monitoring or sampling access.
36660Arterial catheter
36660 is for catheterization of a newborn’s umbilical artery. This code is for percutaneous arterial catheter placement outside that specific neonatal service.

Codes related to 36620

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

Codes related to 36620
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
36625Arterial catheterArterial catheter placement by cutdown rather than percutaneous access.No office rate
36600Arterial blood drawArterial puncture for a diagnostic blood sample when catheter placement is not performed.$24.76–$35.45
36660Arterial catheterUmbilical arterial catheterization for a newborn rather than percutaneous access at another arterial site.No office rate
Often billed with
76937Vascular access guidanceMay accompany vascular access placement when ultrasound guidance requirements are separately documented.$35.62–$53.85

36620 billing questions

How does this differ from 36625?

36620 is for percutaneous arterial catheter placement. Use 36625 when placement requires a cutdown.

Can 36620 be reported for a single arterial blood draw?

A one-time arterial puncture for blood withdrawal is represented by 36600. This code describes placement of a catheter, not just the puncture and sample.

Can modifier 50 be appended when both arms are catheterized?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.

Does the 0-day global period include same-day care?

Yes. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the 0-day global period.

Can an assistant-at-surgery or co-surgeon be paid for this service?

Medicare does not pay assistant-at-surgery services for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery 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
RVUs for 36620PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,538 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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