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Billing code 36800: Cannula insertionMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports surgical insertion of a cannula for hemodialysis access when the service is cannula placement rather than creation or revision of an arteriovenous access.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities5.8K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $107.55 for 36800 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 36800

Cannula insertion

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
2.37
Total RVUs
3.22
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$107.55

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 36800 → · 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 36800 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 36800 covers

This service involves surgically placing a cannula to provide vascular access for hemodialysis or another extracorporeal purpose. It is performed by a surgeon, commonly a vascular surgeon, in an operating room or other facility setting. The operative note should identify the vessels accessed, the cannula placement, and the purpose of the access so the service can be distinguished from construction of an arteriovenous fistula or graft.

Report the code for the cannula insertion itself, not for creating or revising a fistula or graft. Medicare assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, 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 36800 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

36800 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$101.22
Alaska*Unavailable$144.34
ArizonaUnavailable$105.65
ArkansasUnavailable$100.45
AtlantaUnavailable$109.91
AustinUnavailable$107.80
BakersfieldUnavailable$107.39
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$112.37
BeaumontUnavailable$105.17
BrazoriaUnavailable$106.03

36800 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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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
36800 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 36800 rate is calculated

Each of 36800’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 · 36800

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 2.37Practice expense 0.58Malpractice 0.27

3.2200 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$107.55

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 36800

The CMS indicators that decide how 36800 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 36800

Cannula insertion

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period000Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
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.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

36800 without 51 · national facility

$107.55

Cannula insertion

36800-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$53.78

When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).

When to use modifier 51

36800 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

36800 vs 36810 vs 36815 vs 36821 vs 36825: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 36800
    Cannula insertion · 2.37 wRVU
    —
  • 36810
    Dialysis cannula · 3.86 wRVU
    —
  • 36815
    Dialysis cannula · 2.55 wRVU
    —
  • 36821
    Dialysis access · 11.6 wRVU
    —
  • 36825
    Dialysis access · 13.82 wRVU
    —

How to choose

36810Dialysis cannula
Both codes concern cannula insertion, but their full descriptors distinguish the services. Verify the documented procedure against each descriptor rather than selecting by the shared short description.
36815Dialysis cannula
This is another cannula-insertion code with a distinct descriptor. Choose based on the actual cannula service documented, not simply the fact that dialysis access was involved.
36821Dialysis access
Use 36821 for direct creation of an arteriovenous fistula. Use 36800 when the documented service is insertion of a cannula, not fistula construction.
36825Dialysis access
Code 36825 describes creation of arteriovenous access with an autogenous graft; 36800 describes cannula insertion.

Codes related to 36800

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

Codes related to 36800
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
36810Dialysis cannulaAnother cannula-insertion code; check its full descriptor to determine the applicable service.No office rate
36815Dialysis cannulaA related cannula-insertion code with a distinct descriptor.No office rate
Used instead
36821Dialysis accessReports direct arteriovenous fistula construction rather than cannula insertion.No office rate
36825Dialysis accessCreates arteriovenous access using an autogenous graft rather than inserting a cannula.No office rate
36830AV graft creationCreates arteriovenous access using a nonautogenous graft rather than inserting a cannula.No office rate

36800 billing questions

How is this different from an arteriovenous fistula code?

This code reports surgical cannula placement. Codes such as 36821 describe construction of an arteriovenous fistula, a different access procedure.

What documentation supports reporting this service?

Document the cannula placement, the vessels involved, and the clinical purpose of the access. The operative record should make clear that the service was cannula insertion rather than fistula or graft construction.

Can modifier 50 be reported for bilateral cannula insertion?

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

Is an assistant surgeon payable?

No. Medicare's statutory restriction prevents assistant-at-surgery payment for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are also not permitted.

How are other procedures performed in the same session paid?

The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures performed in that session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.

What care is included in the global period?

The code has a 0-day global period. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.

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 36800PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,543 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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