CPT code 70481: CT imaging, orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Aromas, California
CPT 70481: $201.69–$244.20 office across 2 localities in Aromas, CA in 2026 Medicare. Compare each area.
Medicare pays $201.69–$244.20 for 70481 in the office in Aromas, California, from Salinas, 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.
On this page 6 sections
Where 70481 pays more and less in Aromas, California
Aromas, California maps to 2 Medicare payment localities in our Census-to-CMS crosswalk. A city name alone doesn’t confirm an address’s payment area.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Salinas, CA | $201.69 | Unavailable |
| San Benito County, CA | $244.20 | Unavailable |
How payment areas work in Aromas
City limits and Medicare payment areas are different maps. These are the payment areas that cover the city’s counties; the service ZIP decides which one applies.
- Monterey · Monterey County
- San Benito · San Benito County
City boundaries: 2026 Census geography · Census source · CMS county-to-locality definitions
How the 70481 rate is calculated
Each of 70481’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 · 70481
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.10
1.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense4.19
4.19 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.09
0.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.3800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$179.70
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 70481
The CMS indicators that decide how 70481 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 70481
CT imaging, orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear
| 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
70481 without 26 · national office
$179.70
CT imaging, orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear
70481-26 · Professional component
$52.11
Pays only the interpretation and report.
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
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 70481 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
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