CPT code 0055T: Image-guided navigation, CT/MRI-based guidance2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Louisiana
Identifies computer-assisted orthopedic bone-surgery navigation using CT or MRI image data to guide instruments during an operation.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 0055T in Louisiana.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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What 0055T covers
0055T identifies computer-assisted navigation for orthopedic bone surgery using CT or MRI image data. During an operation, the navigation system uses that image-based guidance to help the surgeon orient instruments in relation to the patient’s anatomy. This is the navigation service, distinct from the bone operation itself. It differs from fluoroscopy-based navigation identified by 0054T and image-less musculoskeletal navigation associated with 20985.
Medicare classifies 0055T as a temporary CPT Category III code for emerging technology with carrier-priced status (C). CMS publishes no national payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim. Category III codes are priced individually by Medicare contractors. The code identifies CT/MRI-based navigation rather than the orthopedic procedure being performed. Total knee or total hip arthroplasty may be an operation assisted by navigation; 27447 or 27130 identifies the operation.
This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.
Where 0055T pays more and less in Louisiana
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Louisiana | Unavailable | Unavailable |
How the 0055T rate is calculated
Each of 0055T’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 0055T
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.00
0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.0000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$0.00
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 0055T
0055T has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.
Place of service · 0055T
Which rate does Medicare pay?
The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).
POS 11 · non-facility rate · national
—
0055T isn’t priced in this setting.
0055T compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 0054TSurgical navigationFluoroscopic imaging
- 0055T identifies navigation using CT or MRI image data; 0054T identifies navigation using fluoroscopic images.
- 20985Surgical navigationImage-less
- 0055T identifies CT/MRI-based navigation. 20985 is associated with musculoskeletal navigation without patient imaging.
- 27447Total knee replacementMedial and lateral compartments
- 27447 identifies the total knee arthroplasty operation; 0055T identifies CT/MRI-based navigation that may assist an orthopedic operation.
0055T billing questions
When should 0055T be chosen instead of 0054T?
0055T identifies navigation using CT or MRI image data. 0054T identifies navigation based on fluoroscopic images.
How does 0055T differ from 20985?
0055T identifies CT/MRI-based navigation. 20985 is associated with musculoskeletal navigation performed without patient imaging.
Does 0055T identify the orthopedic operation?
No. It identifies the navigation service; the orthopedic operation is a distinct service.
How does Medicare price 0055T?
It has carrier-priced status (C). CMS publishes no national payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
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