Closing a leaking leg vein with radiofrequency (36475) or laser (36478). Every bill that usually comes with it, who sends it, and where each number comes from.
Price it for your ZIP, hospital or insurerRates by insurer
Partial estimate. Add-on codes often billed with it (36476) are not included. The totals below run low.
| Bill | Surgery center | Hospital outpatient |
|---|---|---|
| Facility | $1,624 | $3,226 |
| Surgeon | $246 | $246 |
| Before surgery (typical) | $177 | $177 |
| Total | $2,048 | $3,650 |
National Medicare amounts (payment-area and wage adjustments at 1.0). Facility: OPPS Addendum B, July 2026 (national unadjusted rate); local = rate × (0.6 × wage index + 0.4); ASC Addendum AA, July 2026 (national rate); local = rate × (0.5 × wage index + 0.5); device-intensive (J8) codes keep the device portion unadjusted; FY 2026 IPPS final rule CMS-1833-F, Table 5; standard amounts from Tables 1A-1E; local = weight × (labor × wage index + non-labor + capital × wage index^0.6848). Leaves out teaching (IME), safety-net (DSH) and outlier add-ons. Surgeon: CMS Physician Fee Schedule CY2026 (RVU26D). Anesthesia: CMS base units × the CY2026 anesthesia conversion factor, with an assumed case time. An educational estimate, not a quote.
At national Medicare rates for 2026, the whole varicose vein ablation comes to about $2,048 in a surgery center and about $3,650 in a hospital outpatient, counting the facility, the surgeon and typical care before and after. Commercial plans usually pay more; local rates differ by area.
The surgery center bills for the facility; the surgeon's group bills for the operation (Surgeon, CPT 36475, about $246 from Medicare nationally); labs, imaging, pathology and therapy each come from their own provider.
Same-day global: covers the procedure day only.