Billing code 36901: Circuit angiographyMedicare rate & RVUs in Virginia
Reports diagnostic contrast imaging of a dialysis fistula or graft circuit when the study evaluates access dysfunction without a circuit intervention.
Medicare pays $671.86–$793.87 for 36901 in the office in Virginia, from Virginia to Dc + Md/Va Suburbs. 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 36901 covers
36901 covers percutaneous entry into an arteriovenous dialysis fistula or graft and diagnostic contrast imaging of the circuit. The study traces flow from the arterial anastomosis and adjacent artery through venous outflow, including central veins, with catheter or needle placement, contrast injections, imaging, and interpretation. Interventional radiologists and vascular surgeons commonly perform it in an angiography suite to evaluate suspected stenosis, poor dialysis flows, prolonged bleeding, or other access dysfunction.
Report 36901 when diagnostic imaging is performed without a circuit intervention. If angioplasty, stenting, or thrombectomy is performed, choose the corresponding intervention code, which includes the diagnostic work; do not separately report 36901 for that circuit. The record should identify the access, findings, imaging extent, and whether treatment occurred. The code has a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this single-circuit service. Medicare does not pay assistant-at-surgery services; 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 36901 pays more and less in Virginia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | $793.87 | $158.82 |
| Virginia | $671.86 | $141.94 |
How the 36901 rate is calculated
Each of 36901’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 · 36901
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 3.28Practice expense 16.76Malpractice 0.51
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36901
The CMS indicators that decide how 36901 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36901
Circuit angiography
| 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) | 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. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
36901 without 51 · national office
$686.39
Circuit angiography
36901-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$343.20
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%).
36901 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
36901 vs 36902 vs 36903 vs 36904 vs 36907: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 36902Dialysis access angioplasty
- 36901 is for diagnostic imaging alone. Choose 36902 when balloon angioplasty is performed in the peripheral dialysis segment.
- 36903Dialysis access stenting
- 36901 reports diagnostic imaging without circuit treatment. Choose 36903 when a stent is placed in the peripheral dialysis segment.
- 36904Dialysis thrombectomy
- Use 36901 for diagnostic imaging alone; 36904 describes dialysis circuit thrombectomy or thrombolysis.
- 36907Dialysis angioplasty
- 36907 is an add-on for central-segment angioplasty, not a replacement for the primary circuit imaging code. Report it with an eligible primary dialysis circuit code when that treatment is performed.
36901 billing questions
When should 36901 be reported instead of 36902?
Report 36901 for diagnostic circuit imaging without treatment. Use 36902 when balloon angioplasty is performed in the peripheral dialysis segment; its diagnostic imaging is included.
Can 36901 be billed separately when the circuit is treated?
No. When a circuit intervention such as angioplasty, stenting, or thrombectomy is performed, report the applicable intervention code rather than separately billing 36901 for the diagnostic imaging.
What imaging is included in 36901?
The service includes contrast imaging from the arterial anastomosis and adjacent artery through the venous outflow, including central veins, as well as the associated imaging interpretation.
Should modifier 50 be used for two-sided access?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code, which describes imaging of a dialysis circuit rather than a paired bilateral service.
How does the 0-day global period affect same-day care?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure. The code does not include a longer global follow-up period.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay assistant-at-surgery services for this code. Co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting are not permitted.
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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