Catheter Placed Into The Liver's Main Vein

Nationwide rates for HCPCS 36481

Threads a catheter through the skin and into the portal vein, the large vein that carries blood from the intestines into the liver. This gives direct access for measuring the pressure inside that vein, taking blood samples from it, or delivering treatment within it. Imaging is used to guide the needle and catheter into position.

Rates data updated July 2026.

How much does Catheter Placed Into The Liver's Main Vein cost?

$4,689

Typical total for the visit. Nationwide, July 2026.

Insurers have agreed to pay about $4,689 for this procedure. That total is two separate charges: $1,738 to the doctor who performs it, and $2,951 to the hospital or surgery center where it takes place. Done somewhere without a facility charge, you pay only the first.

37% physician fee63% facility fee

These are rates insurers have negotiated with providers, not the amount a patient is billed. What you owe depends on your plan's deductible and coinsurance. Based on rates published by 49 insurance carriers under federal price transparency rules.

What's inside this number

Part of the bill	Who charges it	Typical	Range
Physician feeThe doctor who performs it	The doctor who performs it	$1,738	$513 to $2,754
Facility feeThe hospital or surgery center	The hospital or surgery center	$2,951	$1,380 to $5,129

How much rates vary

Facilitymedian $2,951 · 10th to 90th $537 to $8,710Professionalmedian $1,738 · 10th to 90th $309 to $3,890

Distribution of negotiated rates across all payers (price axis is log-scale). Each curve is scaled to its own total: facility and professional rates are different services, shown together to compare where they cluster. Need provider-level prices or 24+ months of history? Contact us.

Rates by insurance carrier

Insurance Carrier	Facility/Professional	Modifier	Typical Low	Median	Typical High
Aetna Setting Facility Modifier Global Typical Low $562.34 Median $2,754.23 Typical High $8,912.51	Facility	Global	$562.34	$2,754.23	$8,912.51
BCBS Setting Facility Modifier Global Typical Low $1,659.59 Median $3,981.07 Typical High $11,220.18	Facility	Global	$1,659.59	$3,981.07	$11,220.18
Cigna Setting Facility Modifier Global Typical Low $501.19 Median $5,623.41 Typical High $16,982.44	Facility	Global	$501.19	$5,623.41	$16,982.44
United Setting Facility Modifier Global Typical Low $295.12 Median $1,174.90 Typical High $3,630.78	Facility	Global	$295.12	$1,174.90	$3,630.78

What it costs in each state

The same service costs 2.3 times more in Maryland than in Wisconsin. Every bar is a state, most expensive first. Pick one to see its carriers and full range.

Physician feeFacility fee

MD $7,884WI $3,405

Median negotiated rate in each state, from every insurer that publishes one. States where no insurer publishes a rate for this service are not shown.