CPT Code 36140Complete Billing & Coding Guide (2026)Intro ndl icath upr/lxtr art
About CPT 36140
CPT 36140 is a Current Procedural Terminology code in the Surgery (Respiratory/Cardiovascular) category maintained by the American Medical Association. The CMS short descriptor reads "Intro ndl icath upr/lxtr art". For the full AMA long descriptor and clinical guidance, refer to the current CPT code manual.
Documentation specificity, correct ICD-10 linkage, and modifier accuracy determine whether 36140 pays cleanly or triggers a denial. Verify CMS National Physician Fee Schedule status, applicable Medicare LCDs, and any payer-specific medical policies before submission.
36140 has 10 NCCI bundling edit pairs documented. Run your scrubber against the NCCI quarterly update before submission. When clinically warranted, use modifier 59 or the X-modifiers (XE, XS, XP, XU) to bypass an indicator-1 edit, with chart documentation supporting the distinct service.
Code Properties
RVU Breakdown
Every CPT code’s Medicare payment is calculated from three Relative Value Unit components: physician work, practice expense, and malpractice. Together they multiply by the conversion factor to produce the payment amount.
Payment = Total RVU × Conversion Factor ($33.4009) × Geographic Adjustment (GPCI). National averages shown. Actual payment varies by locality.
Medicare Payment by State
Medicare adjusts payment by locality based on GPCI (Geographic Practice Cost Index). Higher cost-of-living areas like California and New York pay more. Rural states pay less. Top 12 states shown.
Showing top 12 of 53 states. Full locality data available in CMS PFS Locality file.
NCCI Bundling Edits
10 pairsThese codes trigger National Correct Coding Initiative edits when billed with 36140. An indicator of 0 means the pair cannot be unbundled. Indicator 1 means modifier 59 or X-modifiers may allow separate billing with supporting documentation.
Billing 36140 alongside a bundled code without the correct modifier generates CARC 97 denials. Payers often flag these as audit risks. Document medical necessity for the separate service and apply modifier 59 or the appropriate X-modifier (XE, XS, XP, XU) only when clinically justified.
Anesthesia service included in surgical procedure
Misuse of Column Two code with Column One code
Misuse of Column Two code with Column One code
Misuse of Column Two code with Column One code
Misuse of Column Two code with Column One code
Standards of medical/surgical practice
Standards of medical/surgical practice
Standards of medical/surgical practice
Misuse of Column Two code with Column One code
Misuse of Column Two code with Column One code
Multi-procedure NCCI edits hit surgical specialties harder than any other category. CO-97 denials on 36140 are frequently recoverable when the operative note documents distinct anatomic sites or staged steps. Our coders read the op note against the edit pair and pick the right modifier (XS preferred over modifier 59 for distinct structures).
Applicable Modifiers
Modifiers commonly paired with 36140 based on its category. Apply only when the clinical circumstance warrants. Incorrect modifier use is a top audit target.
Modifier 24, 79, 78, and 58 on global-period claims are the highest-recovery surgical billing levers. 36140 carries a XXX global indicator. Our team flags every encounter inside an active global period for the right modifier decision.
Supporting ICD-10 Diagnoses
These diagnosis codes commonly support medical necessity for CPT 36140. Using the correct ICD-10 prevents CARC 50 denials. Payer rejects when the diagnosis doesn’t support the procedure.
Surgical CO-50 denials usually trace to ICD-10 specificity gaps (E11.9 instead of E11.65, M17.11 instead of M17.0, etc.). Our coders map every diagnosis to the highest-specificity code the chart supports, eliminating the common medical-necessity denial pattern.
Find the revenue leakage in your 36140 claims.
Wrong modifier, missing documentation, bundling without justification, stale ICD-10 linkage: these are the silent revenue killers on Surgery (Respiratory/Cardiovascular) claims. Our AAPC-certified team audits your last 90 days of 36140 claims, surfaces the recoverable dollars, and appeals them. Free, no obligation.
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Related CPT Codes
Codes in the same family as 36140
Everything about CPT 36140
What does CPT code 36140 cover?
CPT 36140 is a Current Procedural Terminology code in the Surgery (Respiratory/Cardiovascular) category maintained by the American Medical Association. The CMS short descriptor reads "Intro ndl icath upr/lxtr art". For the full AMA long descriptor and clinical guidance, refer to the current CPT code manual.
What is the Medicare payment for CPT 36140?
The national average Medicare payment for CPT 36140 is approximately $499.68 in a non-facility setting and $78.83 in a facility setting. Actual payment varies by locality based on GPCI adjustments. Total RVU is 14.96 with a conversion factor of $33.4009.
What is the global period for CPT 36140?
CPT 36140 has no global period (indicator XXX). There are no post-operative day restrictions tied to this code. Refer to CMS National Physician Fee Schedule rules and any applicable NCCI edits when billing on the same date as other services.
What codes bundle with CPT 36140?
CPT 36140 has NCCI Procedure-to-Procedure edits with 10+ codes including 01916, 01924, 01925. Modifier indicator 0 means the edit cannot be bypassed. Indicator 1 means modifier 59 or X-modifiers may allow separate billing with documentation.
CPT codes and descriptions are copyright of the American Medical Association. RVU values reflect current CMS publications. Actual payment varies by locality. Commercial payer rates vary by contract.
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We audit your last 90 days of claims and surface the revenue leakage: wrong modifiers, missed bundling appeals, ICD-10 specificity gaps. AAPC-certified coders. 2.49% of collections. No setup fees.