CPT 37735: Vein strippingMedicare rate & RVUs in Florida
Reports complete stripping of a long or short saphenous vein together with radical venous-ulcer excision and skin grafting.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 37735 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 37735 covers
This extensive open operation treats lower-extremity venous disease with an ulcer requiring radical excision and skin coverage. The surgeon ligates and divides a long or short saphenous vein, completely strips the vein, excises the ulcer, and performs a skin graft. It is associated with advanced chronic venous disease and is generally performed by a vascular or other qualified surgeon in an operating room.
Report 37735 when the operative documentation supports the complete stripping and the ulcer excision with grafting; routine long- or short-saphenous stripping alone is represented by a different code. The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care through day 90. 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% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery; co-surgeon payment requires 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 37735 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 | $609.05 |
| Miami | Unavailable | $676.80 |
| Rest Of Florida | Unavailable | $576.35 |
How the 37735 rate is calculated
Each of 37735’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 · 37735
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 10.63Practice expense 2.67Malpractice 2.71
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 37735
37735 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 37735
Vein stripping
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.09/0.84/0.07 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 37735
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.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
37735 without 50 · national facility
$534.75
Vein stripping
37735-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$802.13
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).
37735 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
37735 vs 37718 vs 37722 vs 37700: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 37718Vein stripping
- 37718 describes ligation, division, and stripping of the short saphenous vein. Choose 37735 when the operation also includes radical ulcer excision and skin grafting.
- 37722Vein stripping
- 37722 describes ligation, division, and stripping of the long saphenous vein. It does not represent the ulcer excision and skin grafting included in 37735.
- 37700Saphenous vein ligation
- 37700 is for ligation and division of the long saphenous vein without complete stripping. It does not describe the ulcer excision and grafting associated with 37735.
37735 billing questions
When should 37735 be selected instead of routine saphenous stripping?
Use 37735 when complete stripping is performed along with radical excision of a venous ulcer and skin grafting. Stripping without that ulcer-and-graft work is represented by 37718 or 37722, depending on the vein.
Is the ulcer excision and skin graft part of this code?
Yes. The code describes the stripping operation together with radical ulcer excision and skin grafting; the operative report should document those components.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care through the 90 days after surgery.
How is bilateral surgery reported under the CMS payment rule?
For a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50, CMS pays 150% under the rule supplied for this code.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be paid?
An assistant at surgery is not paid under the statutory restriction. 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
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