CPT code 36400: Venipuncture2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Washington
Reports skilled femoral or jugular venipuncture to obtain a blood specimen from a child younger than three when this access is required.
Medicare pays $28.15–$31.14 for 36400 in the office in Washington, from Rest Of Washington to Seattle (King Cnty). 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 36400 covers
This service captures a difficult venous blood draw from the femoral or jugular vein in a child younger than three when access requires a physician’s or qualified health care professional’s skill. It is typically used to obtain a diagnostic blood specimen when routine peripheral access is not suitable. The code describes venipuncture, not placement of a central venous catheter or surgical venous cutdown. Documentation should identify the child’s age, access site, and circumstances supporting skilled access.
Select the code by both age and vein: scalp vein access and access through another vein in this age group have separate codes, while skilled venipuncture in an older patient falls under a different code. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, CMS pays the highest-valued procedure in full and applies a 50% payment reduction to the others.
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 36400 pays more and less in Washington
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Washington | $28.15 | $15.84 |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | $31.14 | $16.80 |
How the 36400 rate is calculated
Each of 36400’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 · 36400
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.37
0.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.43
0.43 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.02
0.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.8200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$27.39
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 36400
The CMS indicators that decide how 36400 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 36400
Venipuncture
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| 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
36400 without 51 · national office
$27.39
Venipuncture
36400-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$13.70
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%).
36400 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 36405Scalp venipuncture
- Use 36405 for skilled scalp vein access in a child younger than three; 36400 identifies femoral or jugular access.
- 36406Pediatric venipuncture
- Use 36406 for skilled access through a vein other than the femoral, jugular, or scalp vein in a child younger than three.
- 36410Skilled venipuncture
- Use 36410 for skilled venipuncture in a patient age three or older; 36400 is limited to children younger than three with femoral or jugular access.
- 36415Coll venous bld venipuncture
- Use 36415 for routine venous blood collection. 36400 identifies skilled femoral or jugular access in a child younger than three.
36400 billing questions
When is 36400 appropriate instead of routine venipuncture?
Use it for a skilled femoral or jugular blood draw in a child younger than three. Routine venous collection is represented by 36415.
How does 36400 differ from 36405 and 36406?
The venipuncture site distinguishes these codes: 36400 is for femoral or jugular access, 36405 for scalp access, and 36406 for another vein in a child younger than three.
Does 36400 describe central venous catheter placement?
No. It describes venipuncture for a blood specimen, not placement of a central venous catheter.
How does the multiple procedure reduction affect 36400?
When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others are paid at 50%.
What documentation supports reporting 36400?
Document the child’s age, femoral or jugular access site, and the clinical circumstances requiring skilled venipuncture.
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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