Headline: CPT code 36215 defines selective catheterization of first-order thoracic or brachiocephalic arterial branches for diagnostic angiography. Lead: CPT code 36215 specifies advancement of a catheter into each first-order thoracic or brachiocephalic branch within a vascular family to perform angiographic imaging. This procedural code is central to diagnostic vascular care and interventional planning for thoracic and brachiocephalic arterial disease. National significance: Selective catheterization codes like 36215 are widely used across hospital, outpatient, and ambulatory surgical settings to evaluate vascular anatomy and guide therapeutic decisions. Accurate coding impacts clinical documentation, utilization tracking, and payer adjudication for high-acuity imaging procedures.

Key payers covered: Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare are included in the payer landscape for this analysis.

What readers will learn: The publication outlines clinical context for use of CPT code 36215, standard sites of service, and typical clinical scenarios prompting selective thoracic or brachiocephalic branch angiography. Readers will find benchmarks for utilization and reimbursement patterns where available, common billing considerations, and policy or coding clarifications relevant to diagnostic vascular catheterization. The report also highlights areas where input data were not provided and notes where additional documentation or payer policy review may be needed for adjudication. This summary is written for a national audience and is intended to clarify the code's purpose, settings of care, and relevance to vascular and interventional services.