Billing code 36800: Cannula insertionMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports surgical insertion of a cannula for hemodialysis access when the service is cannula placement rather than creation or revision of an arteriovenous access.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 36800 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 36800 covers
This service involves surgically placing a cannula to provide vascular access for hemodialysis or another extracorporeal purpose. It is performed by a surgeon, commonly a vascular surgeon, in an operating room or other facility setting. The operative note should identify the vessels accessed, the cannula placement, and the purpose of the access so the service can be distinguished from construction of an arteriovenous fistula or graft.
Report the code for the cannula insertion itself, not for creating or revising a fistula or graft. Medicare assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. 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 multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code, 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 36800 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | Unavailable | $109.91 |
| Rest Of Georgia | Unavailable | $107.19 |
How the 36800 rate is calculated
Each of 36800’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 · 36800
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.37
2.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.58
0.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.27
0.27 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
3.2200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$107.55
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36800
The CMS indicators that decide how 36800 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36800
Cannula insertion
| 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
36800 without 51 · national facility
$107.55
Cannula insertion
36800-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$53.78
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%).
36800 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36810Dialysis cannula
- Both codes concern cannula insertion, but their full descriptors distinguish the services. Verify the documented procedure against each descriptor rather than selecting by the shared short description.
- 36815Dialysis cannula
- This is another cannula-insertion code with a distinct descriptor. Choose based on the actual cannula service documented, not simply the fact that dialysis access was involved.
- 36821Dialysis access
- Use 36821 for direct creation of an arteriovenous fistula. Use 36800 when the documented service is insertion of a cannula, not fistula construction.
- 36825Dialysis access
- Code 36825 describes creation of arteriovenous access with an autogenous graft; 36800 describes cannula insertion.
36800 billing questions
How is this different from an arteriovenous fistula code?
This code reports surgical cannula placement. Codes such as 36821 describe construction of an arteriovenous fistula, a different access procedure.
What documentation supports reporting this service?
Document the cannula placement, the vessels involved, and the clinical purpose of the access. The operative record should make clear that the service was cannula insertion rather than fistula or graft construction.
Can modifier 50 be reported for bilateral cannula insertion?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code.
Is an assistant surgeon payable?
No. Medicare's statutory restriction prevents assistant-at-surgery payment for this code. Co-surgeons and team surgery are also not permitted.
How are other procedures performed in the same session paid?
The highest-valued procedure is paid in full; other procedures performed in that session are subject to the standard multiple-procedure reduction.
What care is included in the global period?
The code has a 0-day global period. Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
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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