Billing code 36566: Tunneled catheterMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
Reports placement of two tunneled central venous catheters without a port or pump in a patient who is at least five years old.
Medicare pays $4,151.86 for 36566 in the office in Utah (Utah). 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 36566 covers
This service covers placement of two tunneled central venous catheters without an implanted port or pump in a patient age five years or older. The operator establishes central venous access and creates a subcutaneous tunnel for each catheter. Surgeons and interventional radiologists commonly perform the procedure in a hospital or other procedural setting for patients needing ongoing central access, such as for repeated infusions or other long-term therapy. The code describes two catheters, not a single catheter with two lumens.
Select this code when the record supports the patient’s age, two catheter placements, tunneled route, and absence of a port or pump. Document the indication, access and tunneling performed, and final catheter placement. CMS assigns a 10-day global period, including related postoperative visits during that period. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Bilateral reporting with modifier 50 is paid at 150%. 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.
36566 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | $4,151.86 | $324.58 |
How the 36566 rate is calculated
Each of 36566’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 · 36566
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work6.13
6.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense124.58
124.58 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice1.19
1.19 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
131.9000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$4,405.58
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36566
36566 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 36566
Tunneled catheter
| 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) | 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. |
| 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 · 36566
Tunneled catheter
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
36566 without 50 · national office
$4,405.58
Tunneled catheter
36566-50 · Bilateral: 150%
$6,608.37
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).
36566 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36558Tunneled catheter
- Use 36558 for one tunneled catheter without a port or pump in a patient age five or older. Use 36566 when two catheters are inserted.
- 36565Tunneled catheter
- Both describe two tunneled catheters without a port or pump; 36565 is for patients younger than five, while 36566 is for patients age five or older.
- 36563Port placement
- 36563 describes two tunneled catheters with a subcutaneous port. 36566 describes two tunneled catheters without a port or pump.
- 36556Central line insertion
- 36556 is for non-tunneled central catheter insertion in a patient age five or older. 36566 requires tunneled placement of two catheters.
36566 billing questions
Does this code describe a double-lumen catheter?
No. It describes placement of two catheters. A single catheter does not become two catheters because it has multiple lumens.
How does this differ from 36558?
Both describe tunneled central venous catheter placement without a port or pump in patients age five or older. 36566 is for two catheters; 36558 is for one.
Can this be reported when a subcutaneous port is placed?
No. This code is for tunneled catheters without a port or pump. Port placement belongs to the applicable port-insertion code.
What documentation supports reporting two catheters?
The procedure note should establish that two separate catheters were inserted and tunneled, rather than one catheter with multiple lumens.
What postoperative care is included?
Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included in the procedure payment.
When is assistant-at-surgery payment allowed?
CMS allows assistant-at-surgery payment only when the record documents medical necessity.
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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