Billing code 36909: Dialysis access embolizationMedicare rate & RVUs in Alabama
Reports embolization of vessel branches arising from a dialysis circuit as an add-on to a qualifying dialysis access procedure.
Medicare pays $1,599.46 for 36909 in the office in Alabama (Alabama). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 9 sections
What 36909 covers
This add-on reports embolization of one or more vessels arising from a hemodialysis access circuit, such as a collateral or accessory vein treated to redirect flow through the access. Interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons commonly perform the treatment in an angiography suite, using imaging to guide delivery of an embolic agent or device. It may be part of an intervention on an arteriovenous fistula or graft when the branch vessel itself is being occluded.
Report 36909 only with a qualifying primary dialysis circuit procedure, such as 36901–36906; it is not a standalone service. The record should identify the treated branch vessel or vessels, the reason for embolization, the treatment performed, and the associated primary procedure. The code includes the related radiological supervision and interpretation and imaging guidance when performed. CMS treats it as an add-on paid within the primary procedure’s global period.
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.
36909 in Alabama
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $1,599.46 | $163.60 |
How the 36909 rate is calculated
Each of 36909’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 · 36909
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 4.02Practice expense 49.70Malpractice 0.67
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36909
The CMS indicators that decide how 36909 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36909
Dialysis access embolization
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
36909 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
36909 vs 36907 vs 36908 vs 36904: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 36907Dialysis angioplasty
- 36907 reports angioplasty of the central dialysis segment. Use 36909 for embolization of a vessel arising from the circuit, not dilation of a narrowed central segment.
- 36908Stent placement
- 36908 reports stent placement in the central dialysis segment. 36909 addresses embolization of a branch vessel rather than stenting the central outflow.
- 36904Dialysis thrombectomy
- 36904 reports thrombectomy of the dialysis circuit. 36909 reports branch-vessel embolization and is added to a qualifying primary procedure when both services are performed.
36909 billing questions
Can 36909 be reported by itself?
No. It is an add-on and must be reported with a qualifying primary dialysis circuit procedure, such as 36901–36906.
How is embolization different from angioplasty or stent placement?
36909 reports occlusion of a vessel arising from the dialysis circuit. Angioplasty or stenting treats a narrowed segment of the circuit rather than embolizing a branch vessel.
Does 36909 include imaging guidance and interpretation?
Yes. The code includes the related radiological supervision and interpretation, including imaging guidance when performed.
What should the procedure note document?
Document the vessel or vessels embolized, the clinical reason for treatment, the embolization performed, and the qualifying primary dialysis circuit procedure.
Is 36909 paid separately from the primary procedure’s global period?
No. CMS identifies it as an add-on paid within the primary procedure’s global period.
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
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