Billing code 37290: Peripheral atherectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Georgia
Reports endovascular atherectomy for a complex peripheral arterial lesion in the initial vessel treated during a revascularization session.
Medicare pays $9,593.61–$10,831.28 for 37290 in the office in Georgia, from Rest Of Georgia to Atlanta. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 37290 covers
This code identifies catheter-based atherectomy to restore flow through a complex peripheral arterial lesion in the initial vessel treated. The operator advances endovascular devices to remove or modify obstructive plaque. Vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, and interventional cardiologists may perform this treatment in a hospital or outpatient procedural setting for symptomatic peripheral arterial disease. The code’s complex designation and vessel order distinguish it from the simple-lesion and additional-vessel entries in the atherectomy family.
Select the code using the documented lesion classification and treated vessel sequence under the applicable billing code rules; do not infer complexity from the device alone. The procedure report should identify the treated vessel and lesion, describe the atherectomy performed, and support the complex classification. CMS assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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 37290 pays more and less in Georgia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta | $10,831.28 | $793.89 |
| Rest Of Georgia | $9,593.61 | $781.26 |
How the 37290 rate is calculated
Each of 37290’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 · 37290
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work17.00
17.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense298.16
298.16 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice3.58
3.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
318.7400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$10,646.20
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 37290
The CMS indicators that decide how 37290 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 37290
Peripheral atherectomy
| 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) | 1 | Bilateral with modifier 50 pays 150% of the fee schedule amount. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| 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 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
37290 without 50 · national office
$10,646.20
Peripheral atherectomy
37290-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$15,969.30
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).
37290 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 37288Tibial atherectomy
- Use 37288 for an initial vessel with a simple lesion; 37290 identifies the complex-lesion initial-vessel service.
- 37291Atherectomy
- 37291 is the additional-vessel entry for complex-lesion atherectomy. This code is the initial-vessel entry.
- 37294Arterial revascularization
- 37294 describes complex initial-vessel treatment that combines stenting and atherectomy; 37290 is the complex initial-vessel atherectomy entry.
37290 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from 37288?
Both describe peripheral atherectomy, but 37290 is for a complex lesion in the initial vessel. Code 37288 is the simple-lesion initial-vessel entry.
When is 37291 reported with 37290?
Use 37291 for an additional vessel treated for a complex lesion when the applicable billing code rules support reporting an additional-vessel service. The procedure note should identify each treated vessel and its lesion classification.
What documentation supports the complex initial-vessel selection?
Document the target vessel, lesion characteristics supporting the complex classification, the atherectomy performed, and the order of vessels treated. Follow the billing code family’s criteria rather than relying only on device choice.
How does CMS handle bilateral reporting and other procedures in the session?
Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. For multiple procedures in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and the others at 50%.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only when medical necessity is documented. 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
Fee sheets
Put 37290 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 →