Billing code 37271: AtherectomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports endovascular atherectomy for a straightforward femoral or popliteal artery lesion, for the first treated vessel on one side.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare pays $10,562.70 for 37271 nationally in the office and $411.50 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $9,092.77–$15,071.09.

Medicare rate · 37271

Atherectomy

Work RVUs
9
Total RVUs
316.24
Global days
000

National rate · 2026

$10,562.70

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 37271 →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 37271 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 37271 covers

This code covers catheter-based atherectomy to treat atherosclerotic disease in a femoral or popliteal artery. Vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, and interventional cardiologists may perform it for lower-extremity peripheral artery disease. It applies to a straightforward lesion in the initial vessel treated on that side. Angioplasty performed in the same vessel is included when done with the atherectomy.

Select this code based on the treated artery, lesion classification, treatment method, and whether it is the first vessel. The procedure report should identify the vessel and document the atherectomy and lesion characteristics supporting the straightforward classification. A 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction. For bilateral treatment, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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 37271 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

$9092.77 to $15071.09

$9092.77$12081.93$15071.09
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

37271 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$9,259.30$377.00
Alaska*$11,345.70$534.67
Arizona$10,237.03$400.51
Arkansas$9,092.77$372.88
Atlanta$10,740.15$426.53
Austin$11,147.01$407.04
Bakersfield$11,521.04$395.32
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$11,327.60$435.36
Beaumont$9,640.38$402.79
Brazoria$10,458.65$398.81

37271 rates by state

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

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.

$9,092.77

$13,293.33

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
37271 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$11,345.701
AL$9,259.301
AR$9,092.771
AZ$10,237.031
CA$11,515.56–$15,071.0929
CO$11,204.181
CT$11,367.781
DC$12,401.241
DE$10,435.111
FL$10,147.71–$11,082.853
GA$9,474.44–$10,740.152
GU$11,931.331
HI$11,931.331
IA$9,655.821
ID$9,711.871
IL$9,713.32–$10,891.654
IN$9,784.111
KS$9,550.821
KY$9,425.351
LA$9,387.44–$9,970.262
MA$11,094.30–$12,545.562
MD$10,682.57–$12,401.243
ME$9,721.83–$10,446.292
MI$9,684.33–$10,251.692
MN$10,811.341
MO$9,154.01–$10,073.463
MS$9,128.121
MT$10,562.571
NC$9,855.501
ND$10,523.021
NE$9,736.111
NH$10,972.361
NJ$11,519.17–$12,217.432
NM$9,729.921
NV$10,561.741
NY$10,033.10–$12,566.105
OH$9,676.241
OK$9,456.911
OR$10,502.08–$11,682.092
PA$9,723.01–$10,999.012
PR$10,673.851
RI$10,897.641
SC$9,777.841
SD$10,518.341
TN$9,604.001
TX$9,640.38–$11,147.018
UT$9,944.171
VA$10,369.74–$12,401.242
VI$10,673.851
VT$10,427.751
WA$11,090.99–$12,879.842
WI$10,088.271
WV$9,255.911
WY$10,545.331

How the 37271 rate is calculated

Each of 37271’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 · 37271

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work9.00

9.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense305.24

305.24 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice2.00

2.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

316.2400

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$10,562.70

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 37271

The CMS indicators that decide how 37271 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 37271

Atherectomy

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)1Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

37271 without 50 · national office

$10,562.70

Atherectomy

37271-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$15,844.05

Both sides on one line with modifier 50 are paid at 150% of the fee schedule amount (subject to multiple-procedure rules with other procedures).

When to use modifier 50

37271 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

5 codes, side by side

  • 37271

    Atherectomy9 wRVU

    $10,562.70

  • 37272

    Vessel atherectomy4 wRVU

    $2,337.06−$8,225.64

  • 37273

    Peripheral atherectomy12.63 wRVU

    $13,228.43+$2,665.73

  • 37275

    Leg artery revascularization11 wRVU

    $10,275.79−$286.91

  • 37263

    Leg angioplasty7.75 wRVU

    $5,429.65−$5,133.05

How to choose

37272Vessel atherectomy
37271 is for atherectomy in the initial vessel; 37272 is for an additional vessel in the same territory and session.
37273Peripheral atherectomy
Both report femoral-popliteal atherectomy in an initial vessel, but 37273 is for a complex lesion rather than a straightforward one.
37275Leg artery revascularization
Use 37275 when the straightforward initial-vessel treatment includes both atherectomy and stenting; 37271 represents atherectomy without the combined stent service.
37263Leg angioplasty
37263 represents straightforward femoral-popliteal angioplasty without atherectomy. Angioplasty in the same vessel as atherectomy is included in 37271.

37271 billing questions

When is 37271 used instead of 37272?

Use 37271 for atherectomy of the initial vessel in the femoral-popliteal territory on that side. Code 37272 represents atherectomy of an additional vessel.

Can angioplasty in the treated vessel be reported separately?

Angioplasty performed in the same vessel as the atherectomy is included in this service. Do not separately report the angioplasty code for that same-vessel treatment.

What if a stent is also placed?

When atherectomy and stenting are performed in the vessel, compare the combined stent-and-atherectomy code, 37275, rather than treating this as atherectomy alone.

How should bilateral treatment be reported?

For bilateral procedures, modifier 50 applies; CMS pays the procedure at 150%.

What documentation supports the straightforward lesion classification?

Document the femoral or popliteal vessel treated, the lesion characteristics supporting the straightforward classification, and the atherectomy performed. Identify whether it was the initial vessel on that side.

Can an assistant surgeon be paid for this procedure?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only when medical necessity is documented. 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 37271PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,631 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 37271 pays?

Tell us what you were actually trying to work out. We’ll answer you directly, or build the page that does.

Fee sheets

Put 37271 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.

Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →