Lab · CPT 36415

What is CPT code 36415?

Routine blood draw (venipuncture).

By Justin Feldstein · Reviewed 2026-06-15

What it covers

This is the simple act of drawing a blood sample from a vein with a needle. It covers the collection step only — the technician inserting the needle and filling the tubes. Whatever tests get run on that blood are billed separately under their own codes, so this line never tells you what was actually analyzed.

When you'd see it

You'll see this almost any time blood work is ordered, riding along beneath the panels and tests it fed. One needle stick that fills several tubes is still a single draw.

Roughly what it costs

$3–$25 commonly billed

A ballpark on the billed amount. After insurance or a negotiated rate, what you owe is often far lower. Always compare against your Explanation of Benefits (EOB).

What's usually billed with it

It usually appears just above the lab panels it supplied, such as a metabolic panel (80053) or CBC (85025).

What to watch for

This should be a small charge. If one blood draw shows up multiple times, or the amount looks high for a single stick, that's a fair question for the billing office.

Specific things to question

• Charged more than once when only a single needle stick was done, even if many tubes were filled.
• A surprisingly large dollar amount for what is a quick, low-skill collection step.
• Billed when blood was drawn at the same facility that ran the tests, where it may already be folded into the lab fee.

How to check this charge on your own bill

Find 36415 on your itemized bill and match it against your EOB. Confirm it appears only once, that any bundled services aren't also billed separately, and that the amount matches what your insurer says it allowed. If something doesn't line up, that's a fair question for the billing office.