CPT 36415: blood draw (venipuncture). What Medicare pays and what to ask
The blood draw charge appears on many hospital bills. Here is what 36415 means and what Medicare's lab fee schedule pays.
What this code means
CPT 36415 describes collecting a blood sample from a vein with a needle. It is the draw itself, not the tests run on the blood.
It normally appears next to lab tests such as a CBC or a metabolic panel.
Why the bill can be much higher than the Medicare rate
It is a small line, but it is a common place for repeats to appear.
Hospitals can charge several times the Medicare rate, even for a small item like this.
| If a line is billed at | It would be |
|---|---|
| 5x the Medicare rate | $46.70 |
| 10x the Medicare rate | $93.40 |
| 20x the Medicare rate | $186.80 |
The Medicare rate is a published benchmark, not a legal ceiling on what a provider may charge. Our free scan flags a line as worth a closer look when it is billed at more than 10 times the Medicare rate.
Questions worth asking before you pay
- Does the draw appear once per draw, or several times?
- Was blood drawn more than once during the visit?
Check every line against the official Medicare rates in about a minute. The scan is free.
Related codes
Source: Medicare Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule (CMS, 2026), national payment limit. Last updated October 2026. This page is general information, not legal or medical advice. Rates change each year and a hospital bill can include charges that the benchmark does not cover.