CPT code 70471: CTA, head and neck with contrast2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

Medicare pays $402.97–$510.12 for 70471 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.

What 70471 covers

This service uses CT and contrast material to image arteries in both the head and neck. It is commonly ordered to assess concerns such as acute stroke, arterial narrowing, aneurysm, or suspected dissection. A radiologic technologist performs the scan, and a radiologist interprets the images. The study evaluates the cervical and intracranial arterial circulation as one combined examination.

Report 70471 for a combined head-and-neck angiographic study, rather than separate territory codes for the same examination. Documentation should support the clinical indication, the anatomic coverage, contrast administration, and the interpreting physician’s findings. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies the equipment-and-staff portion, and an unmodified claim represents the global service. When multiple diagnostic imaging services are performed, the CMS multiple procedure reduction applies to both the professional and technical components.

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 70471 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 of 29 payment localities

How the 70471 rate is calculated

Each of 70471’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 70471

The CMS indicators that decide how 70471 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 26

70471 compared with similar codes

How to choose

70496Head CTAIntracranial arteries

70496 covers CTA of the head alone. Choose 70471 when the performed angiographic examination covers both head and neck.

70498Neck CTACervical arteries

70498 covers CTA of the neck alone. Choose 70471 when the performed angiographic examination covers both neck and head.

70450Head CTWithout contrast

70450 is a noncontrast CT of the brain, not an angiographic study of head and neck arteries. It answers a different imaging question.

70491CT neckWith contrast

70491 is a contrast-enhanced CT of neck soft tissues, while 70471 evaluates arteries in both the neck and head.

Codes related to 70471

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates