CPT code 10010: Fine needle aspiration, additional lesion, CT-guided2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports CT-guided fine needle aspiration of each additional distinct lesion sampled after the first lesion during the same procedure.
Medicare pays $249.54–$314.87 for 10010 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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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On this page 9 sections
What 10010 covers
A clinician uses CT to localize and guide a fine needle into an additional distinct lesion, aspirating cells or fluid for cytologic evaluation. The service is typically performed by an interventional radiologist or another physician performing image-guided sampling, often in a hospital or outpatient procedure suite. CT can help target lesions that are deep or difficult to access by palpation or other imaging methods.
Report one unit for each additional lesion sampled after the first CT-guided lesion, which is reported with 10009. Additional needle passes into the same lesion do not constitute additional lesions. The procedure note should identify each target separately and document CT guidance and sampling. CMS classifies 10010 as an add-on code: report it only with its primary procedure, 10009, and payment falls within that procedure's global period.
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 10010 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 payment localities
$249.54 to $314.87
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $250.16 | $64.56 |
| Chico, CA | $249.54 | $63.94 |
| El Centro, CA | $249.57 | $63.98 |
| Fresno, CA | $249.54 | $63.94 |
| Hanford, CA | $249.54 | $63.94 |
| Los Angeles, CA | $266.90 | $66.56 |
| Madera, CA | $249.54 | $63.94 |
| Marin County, CA | $307.94 | $69.17 |
| Merced, CA | $249.54 | $63.94 |
| Modesto, CA | $249.54 | $63.94 |
| Napa, CA | $290.52 | $67.33 |
| Oxnard, CA | $265.74 | $65.57 |
| Redding, CA | $249.54 | $63.94 |
| Rest of California | $249.54 | $63.94 |
| Riverside, CA | $251.82 | $66.22 |
| Sacramento, CA | $262.24 | $65.30 |
| Salinas, CA | $261.28 | $65.01 |
| San Benito County, CA | $314.87 | $70.67 |
| San Diego, CA | $267.72 | $65.18 |
| San Francisco, CA | $307.70 | $68.93 |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $257.04 | $64.16 |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $313.89 | $69.70 |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $270.50 | $64.75 |
| Santa Maria, CA | $262.34 | $64.88 |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $273.25 | $65.30 |
| Stockton, CA | $249.54 | $63.94 |
| Vallejo, CA | $290.18 | $66.99 |
| Visalia, CA | $249.54 | $63.94 |
| Yuba City, CA | $249.54 | $63.94 |
How the 10010 rate is calculated
Each of 10010’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 · 10010
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.61
1.61 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.22
5.22 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.21
0.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
7.0400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$235.14
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 10010
The CMS indicators that decide how 10010 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 10010
Fine needle aspiration, additional lesion, CT-guided
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
10010 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 10009FNA biopsyCT guidance, first lesion
- 10009 is for the first lesion sampled with CT guidance. Use 10010 for each additional distinct lesion in the same procedure.
- 10008FNA biopsyEach additional lesion
- Both describe aspiration of an additional lesion, but 10008 uses fluoroscopic guidance and 10010 uses CT guidance.
- 10012MR-guided FNAEach additional lesion
- 10012 is for an additional lesion sampled with MRI guidance; 10010 is the corresponding additional-lesion code for CT guidance.
- 10004Fine needle aspirationEach additional lesion
- 10004 applies to an additional lesion sampled without imaging guidance. Use 10010 when CT guides the sampling.
10010 billing questions
When is 10010 reported instead of 10009?
Use 10009 for the first lesion sampled with CT guidance. Report 10010 for each additional distinct lesion sampled during the procedure.
Can 10010 be billed by itself?
No. CMS identifies it as an add-on code, so report it with the primary procedure, 10009.
Do multiple needle passes into one lesion support multiple units?
No. Units represent additional distinct lesions, not additional passes into the same target.
Is CT guidance separately reported for the additional target?
The CT-guided aspiration service is represented by 10010 for the additional lesion; do not report a separate guidance code for that same target.
What documentation supports an additional-lesion unit?
Document the additional target as a distinct lesion and record its CT-guided sampling. The record should distinguish it from the first lesion and from repeat passes at one site.
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.
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