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Billing code 37718: Vein strippingMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports open ligation, division, and stripping of the short saphenous vein as surgical treatment for varicose venous disease involving that trunk.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities40 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $362.73 for 37718 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 37718

Vein stripping

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
6.95
Total RVUs
10.86
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$362.73

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 37718 → · 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 37718 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 37718 covers

This service involves surgically tying off and dividing the short, or small, saphenous vein and removing the vein by stripping. Vascular surgeons and other surgeons who treat lower-extremity venous disease typically perform it in an operating-room setting for varicose disease involving this superficial trunk. The operative report should identify the short saphenous vein and document the ligation, division, and stripping performed.

Choose this code for stripping of the short saphenous trunk, not the long saphenous trunk or isolated removal of tributary varicosities. The code has a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. For bilateral surgery, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeons require supporting documentation, and team surgery is 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 37718 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

37718 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$328.24
Alaska*Unavailable$457.07
ArizonaUnavailable$352.04
ArkansasUnavailable$324.10
AtlantaUnavailable$376.40
AustinUnavailable$360.66
BakersfieldUnavailable$351.05
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$385.62
BeaumontUnavailable$352.10
BrazoriaUnavailable$351.01

37718 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.

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View every state and territory as a table
37718 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 37718 rate is calculated

Each of 37718’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 · 37718

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 6.95Practice expense 2.15Malpractice 1.76

10.8600 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$362.73

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 37718

37718 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 37718

Vein stripping

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are 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)1Not paid (statutory restriction).
Co-surgeons (62)1Permitted with supporting documentation.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.09/0.84/0.07Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 37718

Vein stripping

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 50 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

37718 without 50 · national facility

$362.73

Vein stripping

37718-50 · Bilateral: 150%

$544.10

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

37718 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

37718 vs 37722 vs 37700 vs 37765 vs 37766: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 37718
    Vein stripping · 6.95 wRVU
    —
  • 37722
    Vein stripping · 7.96 wRVU
    —
  • 37700
    Saphenous vein ligation · 3.72 wRVU
    —
  • 37765
    Stab phlebectomy · 4.68 wRVU
    $414.17
  • 37766
    Stab phlebectomy · 5.85 wRVU
    $492.66

How to choose

37722Vein stripping
Use 37722 when the long (greater) saphenous vein is stripped; this code identifies the short (small) saphenous vein.
37700Saphenous vein ligation
Code 37700 describes ligation and division of the long saphenous vein, rather than stripping of the short saphenous vein.
37765Stab phlebectomy
Code 37765 describes stab phlebectomy of 10–20 varicose veins in one extremity, not stripping of the short saphenous trunk.
37766Stab phlebectomy
Code 37766 describes stab phlebectomy of more than 20 varicose veins in one extremity, not short saphenous trunk stripping.

Codes related to 37718

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

Codes related to 37718
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
37722Vein strippingStripping of the long rather than short saphenous vein.No office rate
Used instead
37700Saphenous vein ligationLong saphenous vein ligation and division without the stripping service described here.No office rate
Often billed with
37765Stab phlebectomyMay accompany truncal stripping when 10–20 stab-incision phlebectomies are performed.$365.29–$512.35
37766Stab phlebectomyMay accompany truncal stripping when more than 20 stab-incision phlebectomies are performed.$435.01–$604.09

37718 billing questions

How do I distinguish this from 37722?

This code is for stripping the short (small) saphenous vein. Code 37722 is for stripping the long (greater) saphenous vein.

Does this code include removal of tributary varicosities?

It describes stripping the short saphenous trunk. Stab phlebectomy of tributary varicosities is a different service, represented by codes such as 37765 or 37766 when performed and documented.

How is bilateral short saphenous stripping reported?

Report modifier 50 for bilateral surgery; CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. Co-surgeons are paid only with supporting documentation; team surgery is 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 37718PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 4,689 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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