35537 is for aortic bypass to an iliac artery; 35538 is the aortobi-iliac configuration, with outflow to both iliac arteries.
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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
35537 Aortoiliac bypass Medicare reimbursement rates in Delaware
Reports an aortic-to-iliac arterial bypass using a vein graft, typically to restore blood flow in a patient with aortoiliac occlusive disease. Compare 35537 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Delaware.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 35537 in Delaware?
Delaware has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
No supported rate
Facility setting
$1861.21
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Delaware
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Vascular surgery
About 35537: Aortoiliac vein bypass graft
Reports an aortic-to-iliac arterial bypass using a vein graft, typically to restore blood flow in a patient with aortoiliac occlusive disease.
This code represents an open arterial bypass from the aorta to an iliac artery using a vein conduit. Vascular surgeons typically perform it in an operating room to route blood around diseased or obstructed aortoiliac segments. The operative report should identify the bypass origin and outflow, the vein conduit, and the condition being treated so the documented reconstruction supports this code rather than a bypass ending in the femoral arteries or involving both iliac arteries.
Report the code for the aorta-to-iliac configuration, not for each anastomosis or each side as a separate service. The major-surgery global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care. 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 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. An assistant at surgery may be paid; co-surgeon payment requires supporting documentation, and team surgery is not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 35537
- Global period
- Major surgery with a 90-day global period: the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care are included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Assistant at surgery may be paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons paid only with supporting documentation.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU40.83 · 72%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.35 · 9%
- Malpractice RVU10.46 · 18%
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.
35537 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Delaware, from the same CMS release.
Choose 35539 when the aortic bypass ends at a femoral artery rather than an iliac artery.
Choose 35540 for aortobifemoral bypass, with outflow to both femoral arteries; 35537 has iliac outflow.
Compare 35537 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Delaware →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$1861.21
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 35537 in Delaware.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
4,353
- Code
- 35537
- Physician work
- 40.83
- Practice expense
- 5.35
- Malpractice
- 10.46
GPCI2026.csv
40
- Locality
- Delaware
- Physician work
- 1.005
- Practice expense
- 0.988
- Malpractice
- 0.899
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 40.83 | × 1.005 | 41.0341 |
| Practice expense | 5.35 | × 0.988 | 5.2858 |
| Malpractice | 10.46 | × 0.899 | 9.4035 |
| Total RVUs | 55.7235 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Delaware$1861.21
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 40.83 | 1.005 |
| Practice expense | 5.35 | 0.988 |
| Malpractice | 10.46 | 0.899 |
(40.83 × 1.005 + 5.35 × 0.988 + 10.46 × 0.899) × $33.4009 = $1861.21
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
35537 billing questions
How does this differ from 35538?
Use 35537 for a bypass from the aorta to an iliac artery. Code 35538 describes an aortic bypass to both iliac arteries.
When is 35539 or 35540 a better fit?
Those codes describe aortic bypasses with femoral rather than iliac outflow: 35539 for aortofemoral and 35540 for aortobifemoral reconstruction.
What operative details support 35537?
Document the aortic origin, the iliac outflow, use of a vein conduit, and the bypass performed. The documented endpoints distinguish this service from aortobi-iliac and aortofemoral bypasses.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; the descriptor or anatomy does not support modifier 50.
How does the global period affect postoperative visits?
The 90-day major-surgery global includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
