Billing code 37609: Temporal artery biopsyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports surgical exposure and ligation or biopsy of a temporal artery, commonly to obtain tissue when giant cell arteritis is suspected.
Medicare pays $308.41–$333.28 for 37609 in the office in Oregon, from Rest Of Oregon to Portland. 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 37609 covers
A surgeon exposes a temporal artery through a small incision and ligates it; when tissue diagnosis is needed, a segment is removed and sent for histopathologic examination. The procedure is commonly performed for suspected giant cell arteritis, including when clinical concern such as new headache or visual symptoms prompts biopsy. It may take place in an office procedure room or a facility operating room.
Report 37609 for the temporal artery procedure, supported by the operative note identifying the artery, side, and whether tissue was obtained. The 10-day global period includes related postoperative visits during that period. 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 50% reduction. For bilateral work, modifier 50 is paid at 150%. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this code; 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 37609 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $333.28 | $191.53 |
| Rest Of Oregon | $308.41 | $181.33 |
How the 37609 rate is calculated
Each of 37609’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 · 37609
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 2.97Practice expense 5.83Malpractice 0.65
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 37609
37609 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 37609
Temporal artery biopsy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 010 | Minor procedure: the day of the procedure plus 10 days after are 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) | 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. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.10/0.80/0.10 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 37609
Temporal artery biopsy
10-day global period ends
Oct 11, 2026
Covers Oct 1, 2026 through Oct 11, 2026 (11 days).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
After the global period ends: visits and procedures are billed normally.
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 50 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
37609 without 50 · national office
$315.64
Temporal artery biopsy
37609-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$473.46
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).
37609 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
37609 vs 37600 vs 37605: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
37609 billing questions
When is 37609 appropriate for suspected giant cell arteritis?
Use it when the surgeon performs temporal artery ligation or obtains a temporal artery specimen for diagnostic examination. The operative note should identify the artery and side.
Is the pathology examination included in 37609?
The surgical procedure is reported with 37609; the tissue examination may be separately reported by the pathology service. billing code 88305 is commonly used for microscopic examination of a biopsy specimen.
How is bilateral temporal artery work reported?
CMS recognizes bilateral reporting with modifier 50 and pays the procedure at 150%. Document the side treated and the work performed.
Are postoperative visits separately payable during the global period?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in 37609.
Can an assistant surgeon or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 37609. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
What happens when another procedure is performed in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the other procedure or procedures are paid at 50%.
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 37609 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 →