CPT code 97036: Hydrotherapy2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports timed Hubbard tank hydrotherapy when a therapist applies immersion-based water treatment to one or more areas during a rehabilitation visit.
Medicare pays $36.15–$39.94 for 97036 in the office in Massachusetts, from Rest Of Massachusetts to Metropolitan Boston. 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 97036 covers
This service covers therapeutic immersion in a Hubbard tank, a large tank used to treat one or more body areas with water. Physical therapists and other qualified therapy clinicians may use it during rehabilitation when tank-based hydrotherapy is part of the treatment plan, including care involving multiple extremities or a larger body area. The code represents the water modality, not active exercise performed in a pool or tank.
Report one unit for each 15 minutes of service, supported by documentation of the treatment provided and its duration. Distinguish this service from localized whirlpool treatment and from active aquatic exercise. Medicare treats it as a therapy service rather than separate professional and technical components, so it is not split with a professional-component modifier. Under the therapy multiple procedure payment reduction, practice expense is reduced for the second and later therapy units furnished on the same day.
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 97036 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston | $39.94 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | $36.15 | Unavailable |
How the 97036 rate is calculated
Each of 97036’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 · 97036
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.28
0.28 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.75
0.75 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.01
0.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.0400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$34.74
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 97036
The CMS indicators that decide how 97036 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 97036
Hydrotherapy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 5 | Therapy reduction: practice expense of the second and later units is reduced. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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 | 7 | Therapy service: the split doesn’t apply. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier CQ · payment effect
With and without the modifier
97036 without CQ · national office
$34.74
Hydrotherapy
97036-CQ · Allowed amount unchanged
$34.74
Medicare cuts its own payment by 15% after the patient’s 20% coinsurance; the allowed amount stays the same. On $100 allowed: $20 coinsurance, then Medicare pays $68 instead of $80.
97036 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 97022Whirlpool therapy
- Choose 97036 for Hubbard tank treatment. Choose 97022 when the service is whirlpool therapy rather than Hubbard tank immersion.
- 97034Contrast baths
- 97034 is for contrast bath treatment using alternating temperatures; 97036 is for Hubbard tank hydrotherapy.
- 97113Aquatic therapy
- 97113 describes active therapeutic exercise in water. This code describes application of a Hubbard tank modality, not exercise.
97036 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of whirlpool therapy?
Use this code for Hubbard tank treatment. Whirlpool therapy is a separate modality; select the code that matches the equipment and treatment actually provided.
How are units reported?
The code is reported in 15-minute units. Document the treatment duration to support the units billed.
Can active aquatic exercise be reported with this service?
This code represents the tank modality, while aquatic exercise is an active therapeutic procedure. Report both only when each distinct service was provided and documented.
Should modifier 26 be appended?
No. Medicare treats this as a therapy service, not as separate professional and technical components.
What happens to payment when multiple therapy units are billed on the same day?
Medicare reduces the practice expense for the second and later therapy units furnished that day under the therapy multiple procedure payment reduction.
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 97036 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 →