Billing code 36815: Dialysis cannulaMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports surgical placement of a cannula in an internal arteriovenous fistula for hemodialysis or another intended purpose.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 36815 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 36815 covers
This service involves operative placement of a cannula in an internal arteriovenous fistula, the surgically connected artery and vein used for vascular access. A vascular surgeon or another qualified surgeon may perform it in an operating room or other procedural setting. It identifies cannula placement in an internal fistula, rather than creation of the fistula itself or placement in an external shunt.
Report the code when the documented procedure is cannula insertion into the internal AV fistula. The operative note should identify the access type and describe the cannula placement. CMS assigns 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% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid, 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 36815 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 | $140.74 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $156.62 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $133.27 |
How the 36815 rate is calculated
Each of 36815’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 · 36815
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 2.55Practice expense 0.50Malpractice 0.64
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36815
The CMS indicators that decide how 36815 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36815
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
36815 without 51 · national facility
$123.25
Dialysis cannula
36815-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$61.63
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%).
36815 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
36815 vs 36800 vs 36810 vs 36821: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 36800Cannula insertion
- Use 36800 for cannula insertion in a vein-to-vein configuration. This code identifies insertion in an internal AV fistula.
- 36810Dialysis cannula
- Use 36810 for the external shunt configuration; this code concerns cannula placement in an internal fistula.
- 36821Dialysis access
- Code 36821 describes creation of a direct AV fistula. This code describes cannula insertion in an internal fistula.
36815 billing questions
How is this different from 36810?
This code is for cannula placement in an internal AV fistula. Code 36810 concerns an external arteriovenous shunt.
Does this code create the AV fistula?
No. It describes cannula insertion in an internal fistula; fistula creation is a different service, such as the procedure represented by 36821.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the internal AV fistula as the access site and describe the operative cannula insertion. The note should distinguish the service from creation of the fistula.
Can modifier 50 be reported?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
How does the 0-day global period affect same-day care?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure's payment.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be billed?
Assistant-at-surgery services are not paid. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted under the CMS rules for this code.
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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