Summary & Overview
CPT 36572: Pediatric Arm Central Venous Catheter Placement
CPT code 36572 covers imaging‑guided placement of a central venous catheter via the basilic or cephalic vein in the arm, with catheter tip advanced into a major central vein or the right atrium for patients under five years of age. The code bundles image documentation plus radiological supervision and interpretation. Nationally, this code matters for pediatric vascular access programs, interventional radiology, pediatric surgery, and payers managing high‑cost, specialty procedural claims for young children.
Key payers included in this overview are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise explanation of the procedure and its clinical context, the typical sites of service, common modifiers associated with billing for this type of procedure, and what is and is not available in the provided input. The publication highlights benchmarks and coverage considerations commonly relevant to national payers and summarizes areas where policy updates or documentation practices can affect claims processing.
This analysis is intended for billing managers, revenue cycle professionals, payer policy analysts, and clinical leaders involved in pediatric vascular access. It focuses on national billing and coding implications rather than state‑specific rules.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 36572 describes the placement of a central venous catheter through the basilic or cephalic vein in the arm under imaging guidance, with the catheter advanced into a major vein returning blood to the heart or directly into the right atrium in a patient younger than five years of age. The description includes image documentation and all required radiological supervision and interpretation for the procedure.
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Service type: Pediatric central venous catheter placement using imaging guidance
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Typical site of service: Hospital inpatient or outpatient procedural area, or ambulatory surgery center, where imaging guidance and pediatric surgical or interventional services are available
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a 2-year-old child with chronic medical needs requiring reliable central venous access for long-term intravenous therapy (for example, total parenteral nutrition, long-term antibiotics, or chemotherapy). The child is brought to an interventional radiology or pediatric surgery suite. After pre-procedure evaluation and informed consent, the patient is sedated or under general anesthesia per pediatric anesthesia protocols. Under ultrasound and fluoroscopic imaging guidance, the clinician accesses a peripheral upper-arm vein (basilic or cephalic), advances a central venous catheter into a central vein (such as the innominate vein, superior vena cava) or directly into the right atrium, confirms position with fluoroscopy, and secures the external catheter without implanting a subcutaneous port or pump. Image documentation and radiological supervision/interpretation are performed during the procedure. Typical site of service is an outpatient or inpatient operating room, interventional radiology suite, or pediatric procedure room. Common pre- and post-procedure workflow steps include pre-anesthesia assessment, sterile preparation of the arm, ultrasound-guided venous puncture, fluoroscopic catheter advancement and confirmation, dressing and securement of the catheter, recovery monitoring, and discharge instructions or inpatient handoff.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
00 | Service furnished without objection code (payer-specific) | Use if payer requires a default or blank modifier per their billing rules |