Billing code 37288: Tibial atherectomyMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $7,795.77 for 37288 nationally in the office and $609.57 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $6,727.51–$11,005.86.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 37288 covers

This service treats an obstructive lesion in a tibial or peroneal artery using a catheter-based device to remove or modify plaque and restore blood flow. It is typically performed by a vascular surgeon, interventional radiologist, or interventional cardiologist in an angiography or hospital procedure suite for peripheral arterial disease. Angioplasty in the same vessel is included when performed as part of the revascularization.

Report this code for the initial vessel when the treated lesion meets the billing code criteria for a simple intervention; use the operative report to support the vessel treated, lesion characteristics, and atherectomy performed. The separate additional-vessel code applies to another treated vessel. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with 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 37288 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

37288 rates by state

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

How the 37288 rate is calculated

Each of 37288’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 37288

The CMS indicators that decide how 37288 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 50

37288 compared with similar codes

How to choose

37289Arterial atherectomy

37288 reports the initial treated vessel; 37289 is the additional-vessel code for this atherectomy service.

37290Peripheral atherectomy

Both are initial-vessel atherectomy codes, but 37290 is for a complex intervention rather than a simple one.

37280Tibial angioplasty

37280 is the initial-vessel angioplasty service without atherectomy; use 37288 when atherectomy is performed.

37292Arterial revascularization

37292 represents initial-vessel atherectomy with stenting; 37288 is for atherectomy without that stent combination.

Codes related to 37288

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

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates