{
    "code": "36478",
    "coding_system": "CPT",
    "canonical_url": "https://localishealth.com/cpt/36478/2020/A",
    "release_specific_url": "https://localishealth.com/cpt/36478/2020/C",
    "description": "Closure of a leaking superficial leg vein using laser energy delivered from inside the vessel. A fiber is passed up the vein through a small puncture, numbing fluid is placed around the vein, and the fiber is drawn back slowly while laser light heats the wall so the vein seals and is eventually absorbed. The distinguishing feature against its neighbours is the energy source, laser rather than radiofrequency or an injected chemical. This entry is the first vein treated in a leg, with a companion code for each additional one.",
    "answer": {
        "question": "How much did Medicare pay for CPT 36478 in Q3 2020?",
        "text": "Medicare paid $1,092.07 for CPT 36478 in the office (non-facility) setting and $290.88 in a facility under the Q3 2020 Physician Fee Schedule, effective July 2020. These are the national allowed amounts before the ~2% sequestration cut and before locality (GPCI) adjustment. This price has been unchanged since Q1 2020, when it decreased 5.6%."
    },
    "release": {
        "schedule": "pfs",
        "year": 2020,
        "quarter": "C",
        "label": "Q3 2020",
        "effective": "July 1 – September 30, 2020",
        "revision": 1
    },
    "status": {
        "code": "A",
        "non_facility_payable": true,
        "facility_payable": true
    },
    "national_rates_usd": {
        "office_non_facility": 1092.07,
        "facility": 290.88,
        "sequestration_applied": false,
        "gpci": 1
    },
    "rvus": {
        "work": 5.3,
        "practice_expense_non_facility": 23.95,
        "practice_expense_facility": 1.75,
        "malpractice": 1.01
    },
    "formula": "(work_rvu × work_gpci + pe_rvu × pe_gpci + mp_rvu × mp_gpci) × conversion_factor",
    "conversion_factor": 36.0896,
    "source": {
        "label": "Physician relative value file (Q3 2020)",
        "cms_url": "https://www.cms.gov/files/zip/rvu20c-updated-06192020.zip",
        "local_source_url": "https://localishealth.com/sources/physician-fee-schedule/2020/C",
        "file": "PPRRVU20_V0618.csv",
        "row": 8952,
        "sha256": "ebde66539c09d959dffb822c31f25e7c77955ac2e54e8c120994bef894ac5342"
    },
    "modified_at": "2026-08-04T03:09:46+00:00"
}