$1,005.12
36478 reports laser ablation of the first vein treated in the extremity; 36479 reports an additional treated vein and is used with 36478.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
36479 Laser vein ablation Medicare reimbursement rates in Rhode Island
Reports laser ablation of an additional incompetent vein in the same extremity after the primary endovenous laser vein treatment. Compare 36479 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Rhode Island.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 36479 in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$316.78
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Rhode Island
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$119.43
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Rhode Island
One mapped payment locality.
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Vascular procedure
About 36479: Additional vein laser ablation
Reports laser ablation of an additional incompetent vein in the same extremity after the primary endovenous laser vein treatment.
This add-on reports laser treatment of an additional incompetent vein in the same extremity during an endovenous ablation session. Vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, and other qualified physicians may perform the procedure in an office or facility setting. It is used alongside treatment of the first vein, not as a stand-alone service.
Report 36479 with the primary laser ablation code 36478 when another vein in that extremity is treated. Documentation should identify the treated veins and extremity and support that laser ablation was performed on each reported vein. CMS treats this as an add-on paid within the primary procedure's global period. For a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50, CMS payment is 150%.
CMS billing rules for 36479
- Global period
- Add-on code: billed only together with a primary procedure and paid within that procedure's global period.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral procedure with modifier 50 is paid at 150%.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU2.58 · 28%
- Practice expense (office) RVU6.17 · 66%
- Malpractice RVU0.54 · 6%
3.8K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2035 by national volume
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.
36479 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Rhode Island, from the same CMS release.
$284.21
This is the additional-vein code for radiofrequency ablation. Choose 36479 when the additional vein is treated with laser energy.
$245.83
This reports an additional vein treated by mechanochemical ablation, not laser ablation.
$143.26
This reports treatment of a subsequent vein with chemical adhesive; 36479 is for additional-vein laser ablation.
Compare 36479 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
1 of 1 payment localities
Rhode Island →
Office / nonfacility
$316.78
Facility
$119.43
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 36479 in Rhode Island.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
4,491
- Code
- 36479
- Physician work
- 2.58
- Practice expense
- 6.17
- Malpractice
- 0.54
GPCI2026.csv
92
- Locality
- Rhode Island
- Physician work
- 1.019
- Practice expense
- 1.033
- Malpractice
- 0.892
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 2.58 | × 1.019 | 2.6290 |
| Practice expense | 6.17 | × 1.033 | 6.3736 |
| Malpractice | 0.54 | × 0.892 | 0.4817 |
| Total RVUs | 9.4843 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Rhode Island$316.78
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.58 | 1.019 |
| Practice expense | 6.17 | 1.033 |
| Malpractice | 0.54 | 0.892 |
(2.58 × 1.019 + 6.17 × 1.033 + 0.54 × 0.892) × $33.4009 = $316.78
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 2.58 | 1.019 |
| Practice expense | 0.45 | 1.033 |
| Malpractice | 0.54 | 0.892 |
(2.58 × 1.019 + 0.45 × 1.033 + 0.54 × 0.892) × $33.4009 = $119.43
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
36479 billing questions
When is 36479 reported instead of 36478?
Use 36478 for the first vein treated with endovenous laser ablation. Report 36479 for each additional treated vein in the same extremity.
Can 36479 be billed without 36478?
No. It is an add-on code and must be reported with the primary laser ablation procedure, 36478.
How does 36479 differ from 36476?
Both describe additional-vein treatment, but 36479 is for laser ablation and 36476 is for radiofrequency ablation.
What should the procedure note identify?
Document the extremity, each vein treated, and the use of laser ablation. The record should support that a vein beyond the first vein was treated.
How is bilateral treatment handled?
CMS pays a bilateral procedure reported with modifier 50 at 150%. The add-on must still accompany the applicable primary procedure.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
4,48836475,,Endovenous rf 1st vein,A,,5.17,25.30,,1.06,,1.15,31.62,7.38,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,48936476,,Endovenous rf vein add-on,A,,2.58,5.20,,0.37,,0.57,8.35,3.52,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,49036478,,Endovenous laser 1st vein,A,,5.17,23.09,,1.13,,1.09,29.35,7.39,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,49136479,,Endovenous laser vein addon,A,,2.58,6.17,,0.45,,0.54,9.29,3.57,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,49236481,,Insertion of catheter vein,A,,6.56,41.76,,1.11,,0.75,49.07,8.42,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,49336482,,Endoven ther chem adhes 1st,A,,3.41,45.46,,0.59,,0.75,49.62,4.75,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,49436483,,Endoven ther chem adhes sbsq,A,,1.71,2.12,,0.27,,0.40,4.23,2.38,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,1,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8912502,PA,01,METROPOLITAN PHILADELPHIA,1.018,1.041,1.193
9012502,PA,99,REST OF PENNSYLVANIA,1.000,0.918,0.945
9109202,PR,20,PUERTO RICO,1.000,1.011,0.985
9214412,RI,01,RHODE ISLAND,1.019,1.033,0.892
9311202,SC,01,SOUTH CAROLINA,1.000,0.924,0.850
9403402,SD,02,SOUTH DAKOTA**,1.000,1.000,0.336
9510312,TN,35,TENNESSEE,1.000,0.909,0.537