Vascular & Interventional Radiology in the ASC and OBL Setting
Vascular and interventional radiology (IR) covers minimally invasive, image-guided procedures performed through small catheter and needle access rather than open surgery. The codes that matter fall in the 36000-37799 range, covering access, catheterization, angioplasty, thrombectomy, and embolization, paired with radiological supervision and interpretation codes in the 75000 series. Examples run from 36000 (place needle in vein) to 36901 (introduction of a catheter into the dialysis circuit). Many newer codes bundle the procedure with its imaging guidance, so confirm how a service is built before unbundling.
Coverage in an ambulatory surgery center follows CMS addenda. Codes on Addendum AA are on the ASC Covered Procedures List, so Medicare pays them when furnished in an ASC, while Addendum EE codes are excluded from ASC payment.
Vascular & Interventional Radiology codes(1–60 of 250)
- 36905Thrmbc/nfs dialysis circuit
- 36902Intro cath dialysis circuit
- 36901Intro cath dialysis circuit
- 36000Place needle in vein
- 36002Pseudoaneurysm injection trt
- 36005Injection ext venography
- 36010Place catheter in vein
- 36011Place catheter in vein
- 36012Place catheter in vein
- 36013Place catheter in artery
- 36014Place catheter in artery
- 36015Place catheter in artery
- 36100Establish access to artery
- 36140Intro ndl icath upr/lxtr art
- 36160Establish access to aorta
- 36200Place catheter in aorta
- 36215Place catheter in artery
- 36216Place catheter in artery
- 36217Place catheter in artery
- 36218Place catheter in artery
- 36221Place cath thoracic aorta
- 36222Place cath carotid/inom art
- 36223Place cath carotid/inom art
- 36224Place cath carotd art
- 36225Place cath subclavian art
- 36226Place cath vertebral art
- 36227Place cath xtrnl carotid
- 36228Place cath intracranial art
- 36245Ins cath abd/l-ext art 1st
- 36246Ins cath abd/l-ext art 2nd
- 36247Ins cath abd/l-ext art 3rd
- 36248Ins cath abd/l-ext art addl
- 36251Ins cath ren art 1st unilat
- 36252Ins cath ren art 1st bilat
- 36253Ins cath ren art 2nd+ unilat
- 36254Ins cath ren art 2nd+ bilat
- 36260Insertion of infusion pump
- 36261Revision of infusion pump
- 36262Removal of infusion pump
- 36299Unlisted px vascular njx
- 36400Vnpnxr<3yrs phy/qhp fem/jug
- 36405Vnpnxr<3yrs phy/qhp scalp vn
- 36406Vnpnxr<3yrs phy/qhp other vn
- 36410Vnpnxr 3yr/> phy/qhp dx/ther
- 36416Collj capillary blood spec
- 36420Venipuncture cutdown < 1 yr
- 36425Venipuncture cutdown 1 yr/>
- 36430Transfusion bld/bld compnt
- 36440Bld push tfuj 2 yr/<
- 36450Bld exchange truj newborn
- 36455Bld exchange truj oth thn nb
- 36460Intrauterine transfusion ftl
- 36465Njx noncmpnd sclrsnt 1 vein
- 36466Njx noncmpnd sclrsnt mlt vn
- 36468Njx sclrsnt spider veins
- 36470Njx sclrsnt 1 incmptnt vein
- 36471Njx sclrsnt mlt incmptnt vn
- 36473Endovenous mchnchem 1st vein
- 36474Endovenous mchnchem add-on
- 36475Endovenous rf 1st vein
Are vascular and interventional radiology procedures done in an ASC?
Yes. Many image-guided vascular procedures are performed in ambulatory surgery centers and office-based labs. Whether Medicare pays for a specific procedure in an ASC depends on the CMS addenda: codes on Addendum AA are on the ASC Covered Procedures List, while Addendum EE codes are excluded from ASC payment. A number of vascular cases are also performed in an OBL under place of service 11, where payment rules can differ from the ASC.
What CPT codes does interventional radiology use?
Vascular and IR billing centers on the CPT range 36000-37799, which covers venous and arterial access, catheterization, angioplasty, thrombectomy, and embolization, alongside the 75000 series for radiological supervision and interpretation. Examples include 36000 for placing a needle in a vein and 36901 and 36902 for catheter introduction into a dialysis circuit. Our dataset maps roughly 250 ASC-relevant CPT codes to this specialty.
Do vascular procedures need prior authorization?
It depends on the payer, the specific code, and the site of service, so there is no single answer that applies to every plan. Many vascular and IR procedures carry payer-specific prior-authorization and documentation requirements that vary between Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and commercial plans. The reliable approach is to verify requirements for each CPT code with the patient's plan before the date of service.