Billing code 35600: Artery harvestMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports open procurement of one upper-extremity artery segment, commonly the radial artery, for use as a coronary bypass graft.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 35600 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 35600 covers
During coronary artery bypass grafting, the surgeon exposes and harvests one segment of an artery in the arm for use as a bypass conduit. The radial artery is a common example. This is an open harvest, typically performed by a cardiac surgeon in the operating room as part of the CABG operation; it is not a standalone diagnostic or therapeutic service.
Report the code only with a primary CABG procedure, and select it when the operative record supports open harvest of one upper-extremity artery segment. Documentation should identify the harvested vessel, the open technique, the segment obtained, and its use for coronary bypass. CMS classifies this as an add-on code: it is billed only with a primary procedure and paid within that procedure’s global period. The CABG procedure remains the primary service; this code captures the additional conduit-harvest work.
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 35600 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $175.51 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $172.00 |
How the 35600 rate is calculated
Each of 35600’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 · 35600
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work3.50
3.50 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.70
0.70 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.86
0.86 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.0600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$169.01
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 35600
The CMS indicators that decide how 35600 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 35600
Artery harvest
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 2 | Paid. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 1 | Permitted with supporting documentation. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 80 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
35600 without 80 · national facility
$169.01
Artery harvest
35600-80 · Assistant: 16%
$27.04
A physician assistant at surgery is paid 16% of the surgeon’s fee schedule amount.
35600 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 33509Artery harvest
- Choose 35600 for open upper-extremity artery harvest; 33509 represents endoscopic harvest of the artery for CABG.
- 33533Arterial CABG
- 33533 reports the CABG service using a single arterial graft. 35600 is an add-on for qualifying open harvest of an arm artery segment.
- 33534Arterial CABG
- 33534 identifies CABG using two arterial grafts. It is a primary bypass code, whereas 35600 captures the open harvest of one upper-extremity artery segment.
35600 billing questions
When should this code be selected instead of 33509?
Use 35600 for open harvest of an upper-extremity artery segment for CABG. Code 33509 describes endoscopic harvest of that artery.
Can 35600 be reported by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with a primary CABG procedure.
What documentation supports the code?
The operative report should establish that an upper-extremity artery was harvested by open technique, identify the vessel and segment, and document its use as a coronary bypass conduit.
How does the CMS global-period rule affect payment?
CMS pays this add-on within the global period of the primary procedure. It must be linked to the CABG procedure rather than billed as an independent service.
Does the code describe multiple harvested segments?
The code is for one segment. The operative documentation should support the segment reported; do not use it to characterize a different harvest technique.
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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