CPT 97036: Hydrotherapy Using Hubbard Tank
Medicare pays $36 and commercial payers pay $49 on average nationally for this procedure.
CPT code 97036 describes hydrotherapy delivered in a Hubbard tank, a water-based therapeutic procedure used for rehabilitation and pain management; the service is a hydrotherapy procedure typically performed in an outpatient clinic or physical therapy facility using a Hubbard tank to immerse and treat the patient with controlled water temperature and agitation.
For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Radiofrequency Facet and Sacroiliac Joint Ablation/ Denervation, Facet Joint Injections/ Medial Branch Blocks, Lysis of Epidural Adhesions (Epidural Adhesiolysis).
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National Reimbursement Benchmarks
Commercial averages sit well above Medicare for CPT 97036: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, UnitedHealth Group, Aetna and BUCA all have mean rates materially higher than Medicare’s mean of $36.1, with BUCA’s mean at $49.1 representing a modest premium over Medicare and several national payers showing even larger gaps. This positions Medicare near the lower end of national means while commercial payers cluster higher, creating a clear separation between fee-for-service baseline reimbursement and commercial contracting levels.
Dispersion varies notably by payer. Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna show the widest interquartile spreads at $26.0 (BCBS: $65.0−$40.9) and $43.4 (Cigna: $81.2−$35.8), indicating greater variability in contractual rates, while Aetna and UnitedHealth Group are among the tightest with ranges of $7.9 (Aetna: $29.0−$21.0) and $11.5 (UnitedHealth Group: $44.2−$30.7), respectively. BUCA’s IQR is $23.3 ( $59.2−$35.9 ), placing it in the mid-range for dispersion relative to other payers.