Billing code 36810: Dialysis cannulaMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports surgical placement of external arteriovenous cannulation access for hemodialysis when access is established by cannulas rather than a fistula.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 36810 in Florida.
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 36810 covers
This procedure establishes external arteriovenous access for hemodialysis by placing cannulas in an artery and vein, creating a route for extracorporeal blood flow without creating an arteriovenous fistula. A vascular surgeon typically performs it in an operating room or other surgical facility for a patient who needs dialysis access and is receiving this type of nonfistula access. The operative record should identify the access configuration and document the cannula placement.
Report 36810 for the external arteriovenous configuration; distinguish it from cannula insertion codes describing other configurations. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur 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. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and 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 36810 pays more and less in Florida
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Fort Lauderdale | Unavailable | $187.02 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $196.24 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $181.44 |
How the 36810 rate is calculated
Each of 36810’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 · 36810
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 3.86Practice expense 1.11Malpractice 0.34
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36810
The CMS indicators that decide how 36810 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36810
Dialysis cannula
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
36810 without 51 · national facility
$177.36
Dialysis cannula
36810-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$88.68
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
36810 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
36810 vs 36800 vs 36815 vs 36835: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 36800Cannula insertion
- Both concern hemodialysis cannula insertion, but 36810 specifies an external arteriovenous configuration. Base selection on the configuration documented in the operative report.
- 36815Dialysis cannula
- This is a neighboring cannula insertion code for a different access configuration. Distinguish it from 36810 using the operative description of the access.
- 36835Dialysis access
- 36835 identifies insertion of a Thomas shunt, rather than the external arteriovenous cannula access reported with 36810.
36810 billing questions
How does 36810 differ from 36800?
36810 describes external arteriovenous cannulation access. Use 36800 when the documented cannula configuration matches that code rather than the arteriovenous configuration.
When would 36815 be considered instead?
36815 is the neighboring cannula insertion code for a different access configuration. Select the code that matches the operative description, including whether the access is external or internal.
Can the cannula placement be billed with same-day care?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care related to the procedure.
Does modifier 50 apply when access is placed bilaterally?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable to 36810, and modifier 50 is inappropriate.
How does Medicare treat 36810 when other procedures occur in the same session?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures in the session are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported for 36810?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code. 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
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