CPT code 70480: Targeted CT, without contrast2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports CT imaging without contrast of the orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear when the study targets these specific structures.
Medicare pays $142.57–$152.88 for 70480 in the office in Missouri, from Rest of Missouri to Metropolitan St. Louis, MO. 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 70480 covers
This study uses computed tomography without contrast to examine the orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or outer, middle, or inner ear. A CT technologist acquires the images, and a radiologist typically interprets them in a hospital or outpatient imaging center. Common indications include evaluating orbital or temporal bone trauma, detailed ear anatomy, and abnormalities involving the sella or posterior fossa.
Choose this code when the requested and imaged anatomy matches these targeted regions and no contrast is used. The imaging report should identify the anatomy examined and the noncontrast technique; the order and clinical record should support the study. Billing without a modifier represents the global service, including both image acquisition and interpretation. Modifier 26 reports the professional interpretation, while modifier TC reports the technical service. When the diagnostic imaging multiple-procedure reduction applies, it affects 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 70480 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$142.57 to $152.88
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | $151.32 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | $152.88 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Missouri | $142.57 | Unavailable |
How the 70480 rate is calculated
Each of 70480’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 · 70480
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.25
1.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.40
3.40 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.09
0.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.7400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$158.32
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 70480
The CMS indicators that decide how 70480 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 70480
Targeted CT, without contrast
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 4 | Diagnostic imaging reduction applies to the technical component (and professional component) of additional services. |
| 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 | 1 | Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 26 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
70480 without 26 · national office
$158.32
Targeted CT, without contrast
70480-26 · Professional component
$59.12
Pays only the interpretation and report.
70480 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 70481CT imagingOrbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear
- Both cover targeted imaging of the orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear; 70481 is for a study performed with contrast.
- 70482CT imagingWithout and with contrast
- Choose 70482 when the targeted examination includes imaging both without and with contrast; this code is for noncontrast imaging only.
- 70450Head CTWithout contrast
- 70450 is a noncontrast head and brain CT. Use this code when the examination targets the orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear instead.
- 70486Maxillofacial CTWithout contrast
- 70486 is for noncontrast CT focused on the maxillofacial region. Select this code when the documented target is the orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear.
70480 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of a head CT?
Use this code for a targeted study of the orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear. A head CT is for imaging the brain and broader intracranial structures.
How does this code differ from the contrast-enhanced orbit, ear, or fossa study?
This code is for imaging performed without contrast. Use the contrast or without-and-with-contrast code when the documented examination includes those contrast techniques.
What do modifiers 26 and TC represent?
Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
Does the multiple-procedure imaging reduction affect only the technical portion?
No. When the diagnostic imaging multiple-procedure reduction applies, CMS applies it to both the technical and professional components.
What documentation supports reporting this targeted CT?
The order and imaging report should establish the specific region examined—such as the orbit or temporal bone—and that the study was performed without contrast.
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
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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