CPT code 71101: Rib X-ray, unilateral with chest view2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports radiographs of one side of the ribs with a chest view, commonly used to evaluate focal rib pain or suspected rib injury.
Medicare pays $44.51–$56.41 for 71101 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.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 71101 covers
This examination images the ribs on one side and includes a posteroanterior chest view, with at least three views in total. It is commonly ordered for focal chest-wall pain or suspected rib injury after trauma. A radiologic technologist obtains the images in settings such as a hospital, emergency department, or outpatient imaging center; a qualified practitioner interprets them and documents the findings.
Choose this code when the study covers one side and includes the chest view, rather than a unilateral rib study without that view. The order and report should identify the side, clinical indication, and imaging findings. CMS recognizes separately priced professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff portion. Reporting the code without either modifier represents the global service, including both 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 71101 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
$44.51 to $56.41
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $44.60 | Unavailable |
| Chico, CA | $44.51 | Unavailable |
| El Centro, CA | $44.52 | Unavailable |
| Fresno, CA | $44.51 | Unavailable |
| Hanford, CA | $44.51 | Unavailable |
| Los Angeles, CA | $47.64 | Unavailable |
| Madera, CA | $44.51 | Unavailable |
| Marin County, CA | $55.18 | Unavailable |
| Merced, CA | $44.51 | Unavailable |
| Modesto, CA | $44.51 | Unavailable |
| Napa, CA | $52.00 | Unavailable |
| Oxnard, CA | $47.45 | Unavailable |
| Redding, CA | $44.51 | Unavailable |
| Rest of California | $44.51 | Unavailable |
| Riverside, CA | $44.84 | Unavailable |
| Sacramento, CA | $46.83 | Unavailable |
| Salinas, CA | $46.65 | Unavailable |
| San Benito County, CA | $56.41 | Unavailable |
| San Diego, CA | $47.84 | Unavailable |
| San Francisco, CA | $55.15 | Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $45.89 | Unavailable |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $56.27 | Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $48.36 | Unavailable |
| Santa Maria, CA | $46.85 | Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $48.86 | Unavailable |
| Stockton, CA | $44.51 | Unavailable |
| Vallejo, CA | $51.95 | Unavailable |
| Visalia, CA | $44.51 | Unavailable |
| Yuba City, CA | $44.51 | Unavailable |
How the 71101 rate is calculated
Each of 71101’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 · 71101
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.26
0.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.96
0.96 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.03
0.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.2500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$41.75
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 71101
The CMS indicators that decide how 71101 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 71101
Rib X-ray, unilateral with chest view
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| 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 | 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
71101 without 26 · national office
$41.75
Rib X-ray, unilateral with chest view
71101-26 · Professional component
$12.69
Pays only the interpretation and report.
71101 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 71100Rib X-rayOne side, two views
- Use 71101 when the unilateral rib examination includes a chest view and at least three views total. Use 71100 for unilateral rib views without that chest view.
- 71110Rib X-rayBilateral, three views
- 71110 covers bilateral rib imaging with three views; 71101 is for one side and includes a chest view.
- 71111Rib X-rayBilateral, with chest view
- 71111 is the bilateral study that includes a chest view and requires at least four views. 71101 covers one side with a chest view and at least three views.
71101 billing questions
How does this differ from 71100?
71101 includes a chest view and requires at least three views overall. 71100 is for unilateral rib imaging without the included chest view.
Can the included chest view be billed separately?
The chest view is part of 71101. Do not separately report that same view as a chest radiograph.
When should modifier 26 or TC be used?
Use modifier 26 for the professional interpretation only and TC for the technical service only. Without either modifier, the code represents the global service.
What should the record support?
Document the one-sided rib examination, the chest view, the reason for imaging, and the interpreted findings. The order and report should make the side examined clear.
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
Put 71101 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Build my fee sheet