Medicare prior authorization · 36482
36482 — Vein Ablation and related services
Subject to the hospital outpatient department prior authorization program nationwide when furnished in a hospital outpatient department. Subject to CMS’s ASC prior authorization demonstration when furnished in an ambulatory surgical center in CA, FL, TN, PA, MD, GA, NY, TX, AZ, OH. The decision is made on Medicare’s existing coverage policy; nothing in these programs changes what is covered.
The coverage policy the reviewer applies, by contractor
CMS publishes no policy references for this program’s code list. The policies below are the ones whose own procedure-code tables list 36482 — matched by CLV analysis; the linked CMS document is authoritative. Each state’s contractor writes its own, so the policy that decides a request depends on the state.
Noridian · 16 states: AK, AS, AZ, CA, GU, HI, ID, MP, MT, ND, NV, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY
- L34010 — Treatment of Varicose Veins of the Lower Extremities — Noridian · CMS version 38 · captured 2026-07-24
- L34209 — Treatment of Varicose Veins of the Lower Extremities — Noridian · CMS version 43 · captured 2026-07-28
This contractor publishes more than one policy listing 36482, and the capture records the contractor rather than the jurisdiction — so which one governs depends on the jurisdiction serving the state. Run the check for your state.
Novitas · 12 states: AR, CO, DC, DE, LA, MD, MS, NJ, NM, OK, PA, TX
- L34924 — Treatment of Chronic Venous Insufficiency of the Lower Extremities — Novitas · CMS version 79 · captured 2026-09-12
Read the documentation requirements in the linked CMS document.
National Government Services · 10 states: CT, IL, MA, ME, MN, NH, NY, RI, VT, WI
- L33575 — Varicose Veins of the Lower Extremity, Treatment of — Wellpoint Federal · CMS version 44 · captured 2026-07-29
Read the documentation requirements in the linked CMS document.
WPS · 6 states: IA, IN, KS, MI, MO, NE
- L34536 — Treatment of Varicose Veins of the Lower Extremities — WPS · CMS version 36 · captured 2026-07-23
Read the documentation requirements in the linked CMS document.
CGS Administrators · 2 states: KY, OH
- L34082 — Varicose Veins of the Lower Extremity, Treatment of — CGS · CMS version 30 · captured 2026-07-24
Read the documentation requirements in the linked CMS document.
Hospital-OPD prior authorization program
- Where
- nationwide, hospital outpatient department only
- Decision
- 7 calendar days; 2 business days expedited
- Coverage policy
- the MAC’s LCD for the state — the check below finds it
- CMS note
- Since 2020-07-01.
ASC prior authorization demonstration
- Where and from when
- ambulatory surgical center only; CA, FL, TN, PA, MD, GA, NY for dates of service on or after 2026-01-19; TX, AZ, OH for dates of service on or after 2026-02-16
- Decision
- 7 calendar days; 2 business days expedited; valid 120 days
- If no request is made
- prior authorization is voluntary; the claim is stopped for prepayment medical record review
- Submit
- the ASC submits to its MAC by mail, fax, esMD (content type 8.7) or the MAC’s portal
- Exemption
- not yet published: “CMS will provide further information regarding exemption.”
- CMS note
- 36474, 36476, 36479 and 36483 were removed on January 1, 2026.
Check 36482 for your state, diagnosis and setting
The governing policy as it stands today, whether the diagnosis is on its list, and the documentation the policy’s own text requires — quoted, source-linked, free.
Run the check →Full lists: hospital outpatient code list · ASC demonstration code list
Same family: 36473 · 36474 · 36475 · 36476 · 36478 · 36479 · 36483
Sources: CMS WISeR Provider and Supplier Operational Guide v7.0 (2026-07-24), Appendix A; CMS list of OPD services requiring prior authorization (2024-08-05); CMS list of ambulatory surgical center services for prior authorization (2026-03-05) and the ASC Operational Guide (2026-03-03). Codes are shown as numbers only, as CMS lists them. CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.