$1,200.19
Choose 36251 when selective catheterization is limited to the first-order renal artery on one side; choose 36253 when the catheter reaches a second-order or more distal branch.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
36253 Renal angiography Medicare reimbursement rates in Vermont
Reports selective angiography of a second-order or higher renal artery branch on one side when diagnostic imaging requires catheter placement beyond the main renal artery. Compare 36253 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Vermont.
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 36253 in Vermont?
Vermont 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
$1866.68
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Vermont
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$290.05
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Vermont
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 imaging
About 36253: Selective renal branch angiography, unilateral
Reports selective angiography of a second-order or higher renal artery branch on one side when diagnostic imaging requires catheter placement beyond the main renal artery.
This service involves advancing a catheter into a second-order or higher branch of a renal artery on one side, injecting contrast, and obtaining and interpreting angiographic images. Interventional radiologists and other physicians who perform vascular catheter procedures commonly provide it in an angiography suite or catheterization laboratory. The study may assess renal arterial anatomy or suspected renovascular disease, including stenosis or fibromuscular dysplasia.
Select this code when the documented catheterization reaches a second-order or more distal renal arterial branch on one side; the renal angiography service includes the selective catheter placement and its imaging and interpretation. Document the treated side, catheter position, and diagnostic findings. The procedure 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 other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate; use the bilateral renal angiography code when both sides meet its criteria. Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
CMS billing rules for 36253
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU7.12 · 13%
- Practice expense (office) RVU48.81 · 86%
- Malpractice RVU0.88 · 2%
1.8K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2537 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.
36253 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Vermont, from the same CMS release.
$1,308.22
36252 describes bilateral renal angiography with first-order catheter placement. This code describes higher-order branch catheterization on one side.
$1,865.37
36254 is the bilateral code for second-order or higher renal branch catheterization. This code is for the corresponding unilateral study.
Compare 36253 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
Vermont →
Office / nonfacility
$1866.68
Facility
$290.05
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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 36253 in Vermont.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
4,461
- Code
- 36253
- Physician work
- 7.12
- Practice expense
- 48.81
- Malpractice
- 0.88
GPCI2026.csv
105
- Locality
- Vermont
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.990
- Malpractice
- 0.506
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 7.12 | × 1.000 | 7.1200 |
| Practice expense | 48.81 | × 0.990 | 48.3219 |
| Malpractice | 0.88 | × 0.506 | 0.4453 |
| Total RVUs | 55.8872 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Vermont$1866.68
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 7.12 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 48.81 | 0.99 |
| Malpractice | 0.88 | 0.506 |
(7.12 × 1 + 48.81 × 0.99 + 0.88 × 0.506) × $33.4009 = $1866.68
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 7.12 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 1.13 | 0.99 |
| Malpractice | 0.88 | 0.506 |
(7.12 × 1 + 1.13 × 0.99 + 0.88 × 0.506) × $33.4009 = $290.05
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.
36253 billing questions
How does this differ from 36251?
Use 36251 for unilateral renal angiography when selective catheter placement is limited to the first-order renal artery. This code requires documented catheterization into a second-order or higher branch.
What is included in the renal angiography service?
The service includes selective catheter placement, contrast injection, and the angiographic imaging and interpretation. These elements are not separately reported as additional renal angiography services.
Should modifier 50 be appended for both kidneys?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code. When the study meets the bilateral criteria, report 36254 instead.
What documentation supports selecting this code?
Document the side studied, the renal branch reached by the catheter, the angiographic images and findings, and the clinical reason for the study. The record should establish catheterization beyond the first-order renal artery.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is restricted for this service. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted under the CMS rules provided for this code.
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.
4,45836248,,Ins cath abd/l-ext art addl,A,,0.98,2.26,,0.14,,0.12,3.36,1.24,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,45936251,,Ins cath ren art 1st unilat,A,,4.97,30.79,,0.80,,0.95,36.71,6.72,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,46036252,,Ins cath ren art 1st bilat,A,,6.57,32.17,,1.22,,1.48,40.22,9.27,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,2,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,46136253,,Ins cath ren art 2nd+ unilat,A,,7.12,48.81,,1.13,,0.88,56.81,9.13,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,46236254,,Ins cath ren art 2nd+ bilat,A,,7.70,47.75,,1.42,,1.73,57.18,10.85,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,2,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,46336260,,Insertion of infusion pump,A,,9.66,6.72,NA,6.72,,2.58,18.96,18.96,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
4,46436261,,Revision of infusion pump,A,,5.49,5.25,NA,5.25,,1.46,12.20,12.20,0,090,0.09,0.84,0.07,2,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
10204412,TX,18,HOUSTON,1.008,0.993,1.376
10304412,TX,99,REST OF TEXAS,1.000,0.949,0.903
10403502,UT,09,UTAH,1.000,0.940,0.898
10514512,VT,50,VERMONT,1.000,0.990,0.506
10611302,VA,00,VIRGINIA,1.000,0.983,0.706
10709202,VI,50,VIRGIN ISLANDS,1.000,1.011,0.985
10802402,WA,02,SEATTLE (KING CNTY),1.050,1.227,0.817