CPT code 70554: Functional brain MRI, technologist acquisition2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Louisiana
Report 70554 for functional brain MRI acquired by a technologist to map task-related brain activity, such as for presurgical planning, without physician or psychologist attendance.
Medicare pays $342.65–$360.64 for 70554 in the office in Louisiana, from Rest of Louisiana to New Orleans, LA. 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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What 70554 covers
This service uses functional MRI to map brain activity associated with tasks, often to help plan surgery near areas involved in language or movement. A technologist conducts the imaging acquisition; the physician or psychologist interprets the study and prepares the report without attending the acquisition. It is commonly performed in a hospital or imaging center when a clinical team needs functional information for neurologic or neurosurgical evaluation.
Choose this code for functional rather than routine anatomic brain imaging, and retain documentation of the clinical purpose, acquisition, interpretation, and report. The global service is billed without a component modifier; modifier TC identifies the technical service, and modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation. When multiple diagnostic imaging procedures are performed, the imaging multiple-procedure reduction applies to both components. CMS pays each side separately at 100% when the service is performed bilaterally.
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 70554 pays more and less in Louisiana
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | $360.64 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Louisiana | $342.65 | Unavailable |
How the 70554 rate is calculated
Each of 70554’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 · 70554
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.06
2.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense9.08
9.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.17
0.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
11.3100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$377.76
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 70554
The CMS indicators that decide how 70554 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 70554
Functional brain MRI, technologist acquisition
| 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) | 3 | Each side paid at 100% (no 150% cap). |
| 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
70554 without 26 · national office
$377.76
Functional brain MRI, technologist acquisition
70554-26 · Professional component
$97.86
Pays only the interpretation and report.
70554 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 70555Functional brain MRIPhysician or psychologist
- Both describe functional brain MRI, but 70554 is acquired without physician or psychologist attendance; 70555 is used when one attends.
- 70551Brain MRIWithout contrast
- 70551 is routine anatomic brain MRI without contrast. Choose 70554 when the service maps task-related brain activity.
- 70553Brain MRIWithout and with contrast
- 70553 is routine anatomic brain MRI without and with contrast; 70554 is functional imaging rather than a contrast-based anatomic study.
70554 billing questions
How is 70554 different from 70555?
70554 is for technologist acquisition without physician or psychologist attendance. Use 70555 when the physician or psychologist attends the functional imaging.
Can the technical and professional services be billed separately?
Yes. Report modifier TC for the technical service and modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and report. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
When does the imaging multiple-procedure reduction apply?
When multiple diagnostic imaging procedures are performed, CMS applies the reduction to both the technical and professional components.
Is 70554 the code for a routine brain MRI?
No. It describes functional imaging that maps task-related brain activity. Routine anatomic brain MRI is represented by codes such as 70551 through 70553, selected according to contrast use.
What documentation supports reporting 70554?
Document the clinical reason for functional mapping, the imaging acquisition, and the interpreting physician's or psychologist's findings and report. The record should support that the technologist performed the acquisition without physician or psychologist attendance.
How does CMS treat bilateral performance?
When the service is performed bilaterally, CMS pays each side separately at 100%. Follow applicable claim instructions for reporting the sides.
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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