Billing code 37197: Foreign body retrievalMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports endovascular retrieval of an intravascular object, such as an embolized catheter fragment, using imaging guidance and radiological supervision and interpretation.
Medicare pays $1,364.26–$1,547.67 for 37197 in the office in Texas, from Beaumont to Austin. 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 37197 covers
This service removes a loose object from the vascular system through an endovascular approach, commonly using a catheter and snare under fluoroscopic guidance. A typical case is retrieval of a fractured catheter fragment that has migrated into a central vein or the heart. Interventional radiologists, vascular surgeons, and other physicians with endovascular expertise may perform it in a hospital or outpatient procedural setting. The procedure includes radiological supervision and interpretation and imaging guidance when performed.
Report the code when the physician retrieves an intravascular foreign body, rather than removing a vena cava filter or clearing material around a catheter. The operative report should identify the object and its location, the retrieval approach, and the imaging and steps used to capture or remove it. The service has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are subject to the standard 50% multiple procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. 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 37197 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 payment localities
$1364.26 to $1547.67
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $1,547.67 | $262.77 |
| Beaumont | $1,364.26 | $259.11 |
| Brazoria | $1,461.55 | $258.03 |
| Dallas | $1,470.75 | $261.15 |
| Fort Worth | $1,458.74 | $261.28 |
| Galveston | $1,465.75 | $259.79 |
| Houston | $1,485.15 | $279.19 |
| Rest Of Texas | $1,411.97 | $259.45 |
How the 37197 rate is calculated
Each of 37197’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 · 37197
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work5.89
5.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense37.33
37.33 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.06
1.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
44.2800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$1,478.99
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 37197
The CMS indicators that decide how 37197 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 37197
Foreign body retrieval
| 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) | 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 | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
37197 without 51 · national office
$1,478.99
Foreign body retrieval
37197-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$739.50
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
37197 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36596Catheter declotting
- This code is specific to percutaneous retrieval of a foreign body from a central venous catheter. Code 37197 describes endovascular retrieval of an intravascular foreign body outside that specific service.
- 37193Filter retrieval
- Use 37193 to remove an inferior vena cava filter. Use 37197 to retrieve another intravascular foreign body, such as a migrated catheter fragment.
- 36595Catheter removal
- Code 36595 addresses mechanical removal of obstructive material around a central venous catheter. It is not the code for retrieving a loose intravascular foreign body.
37197 billing questions
When should 37197 be chosen instead of 36596?
Use 36596 for retrieval of a foreign body from a central venous catheter by a percutaneous approach. Use 37197 for endovascular retrieval of an intravascular foreign body outside that specific catheter-retrieval service.
Does 37197 include imaging guidance and interpretation?
Yes. The endovascular retrieval service includes radiological supervision and interpretation and imaging guidance when performed.
Is removal of an inferior vena cava filter reported with 37197?
Removal of an inferior vena cava filter is reported with 37193, not 37197. Code 37197 describes retrieval of an intravascular foreign body.
Can modifier 50 be used for bilateral retrieval?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for this code; modifier 50 should not be used.
When is an assistant-at-surgery eligible for payment?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is available only when the record documents medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
How does the multiple procedure reduction affect 37197?
When it is performed with other procedures in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the remaining procedures are subject to the standard 50% 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
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