CPT code 34834: Arterial exposure2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports open brachial artery exposure through an arm incision to provide access for delivery of an endovascular prosthesis during a qualifying primary procedure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 34834 in Georgia.
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 34834 covers
A vascular surgeon exposes the brachial artery through an incision in the arm to establish open access for delivering an endovascular prosthesis. This may be needed during aortic endovascular repair when the procedure requires upper-extremity access, such as for device positioning or catheter work. The service is typically performed in an operating room as part of the endovascular repair, rather than as a standalone access procedure.
Report 34834 only with a qualifying primary procedure; it is an add-on and is paid within that procedure’s global period. Documentation should identify the arm and side, describe the open arterial exposure, and connect the access to delivery of the prosthesis. If exposure is bilateral and modifier 50 is reported, CMS pays the code at 150%.
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 34834 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $121.33 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $119.80 |
How the 34834 rate is calculated
Each of 34834’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 · 34834
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.58
2.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.26
0.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.65
0.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
3.4900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$116.57
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 34834
The CMS indicators that decide how 34834 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 34834
Arterial exposure
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 2 | Permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
34834 without 50 · national facility
$116.57
Arterial exposure
34834-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$174.86
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).
34834 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 34812Femoral exposure
- 34812 is for open femoral artery exposure through the groin; 34834 is for open brachial artery exposure through an arm incision.
- 34820Iliac exposure
- 34820 describes open iliac artery exposure, generally through a retroperitoneal approach; 34834 identifies brachial access in the arm.
- 34833Iliac access
- 34833 involves open iliac exposure with creation of a conduit. Choose 34834 when the open access site is the brachial artery.
34834 billing questions
When is 34834 chosen instead of 34812?
Use 34834 for open brachial artery exposure in the arm. Code 34812 describes open femoral artery exposure, a different access site.
Can 34834 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with a qualifying primary procedure for endovascular prosthesis delivery.
How should bilateral brachial exposure be reported?
When the procedure is bilateral, report modifier 50. CMS pays the bilateral procedure at 150%.
What documentation supports reporting 34834?
Document the brachial artery side, the open exposure through an arm incision, and its role in delivering the endovascular prosthesis during the primary procedure.
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
Fee sheets
Put 34834 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →