Billing code 37272: Vessel atherectomyMedicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports atherectomy in each additional simple femoropopliteal artery treated during endovascular revascularization after the first artery.
Medicare pays $2,164.68–$2,419.64 for 37272 in the office in Illinois, from Rest Of Illinois to Suburban Chicago. 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 37272 covers
This add-on represents catheter-based removal of atherosclerotic material from an additional femoral or popliteal artery during endovascular revascularization. It is used after the initial artery in the same unilateral femoropopliteal territory has been treated. Vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, and interventional cardiologists commonly perform these procedures in a hospital angiography or catheterization suite. The simple-lesion code family applies when the documented intervention meets the billing code definition for simple rather than complex treatment.
Report one unit for each additional qualifying artery beyond the first, with the corresponding initial-vessel procedure. The operative report should identify the treated arteries, describe atherectomy in each, and support the simple-lesion classification. Angioplasty performed in the same vessel is included when performed. CMS classifies this as an add-on: it must be billed with a primary procedure and is paid within that procedure’s global period. For bilateral reporting with modifier 50, CMS pays 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 37272 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
4 payment localities
$2164.68 to $2419.64
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $2,387.36 | $220.89 |
| East St. Louis | $2,193.31 | $210.07 |
| Rest Of Illinois | $2,164.68 | $196.53 |
| Suburban Chicago | $2,419.64 | $205.74 |
How the 37272 rate is calculated
Each of 37272’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 · 37272
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work4.00
4.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense65.08
65.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.89
0.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
69.9700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$2,337.06
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 37272
The CMS indicators that decide how 37272 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 37272
Vessel atherectomy
| 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) | 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
37272 without 50 · national office
$2,337.06
Vessel atherectomy
37272-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$3,505.59
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).
37272 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 37271Atherectomy
- 37271 reports the initial simple femoropopliteal artery treated with atherectomy; 37272 is for each additional qualifying artery.
- 37273Peripheral atherectomy
- 37273 is for the initial artery when the lesion meets the complex-treatment criteria. Use 37272 only for an additional artery classified as simple.
- 37274Atherectomy
- 37274 reports each additional artery treated for a complex lesion; 37272 is the additional-artery code for simple treatment.
- 37276Peripheral revascularization
- 37276 represents each additional femoropopliteal artery treated with atherectomy and stent placement. 37272 describes additional-artery atherectomy without that stent combination.
37272 billing questions
When is 37272 reported instead of 37271?
37271 represents the initial simple femoropopliteal artery treated with atherectomy. Report 37272 for each additional qualifying artery treated after that initial artery.
Can 37272 be billed by itself?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with the applicable primary procedure for the initial artery.
Is angioplasty separately reported in the same artery?
Angioplasty performed in the same vessel as the atherectomy is included. The report should identify the artery and describe the work performed.
How is bilateral treatment reported?
For bilateral treatment, report modifier 50 as applicable. CMS pays bilateral procedures reported with modifier 50 at 150%.
What documentation supports an additional unit?
Document each distinct additional artery treated with atherectomy and the basis for classifying its lesion as simple. The first treated artery is represented by the primary code, not an additional unit of 37272.
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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