CPT code 71250: Chest CT, diagnostic, without contrast2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Diagnostic chest CT performed without intravenous contrast is reported to evaluate pulmonary nodules, interstitial lung disease, emphysema, or an abnormal chest radiograph.
Medicare pays $137.73–$152.25 for 71250 in the office in Massachusetts, from Rest of Massachusetts to Metropolitan Boston, MA. 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 71250 covers
This diagnostic CT of the thorax is acquired without intravenous contrast. It examines the lungs, airways, mediastinum, pleura, and chest wall and is commonly ordered for pulmonary nodule follow-up, high-resolution evaluation of interstitial lung disease, assessment of emphysema, or workup of an abnormal chest radiograph. Technologists acquire the images in hospital radiology departments, emergency departments, and freestanding imaging centers. A radiologist interprets the study and issues a written report.
Report 71250 when the chest is scanned without intravenous contrast. Use 71260 for a contrast-only chest CT and 71270 when both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced chest images are obtained. Lung cancer screening in an eligible asymptomatic patient is reported with 71271. The order should identify the diagnostic indication, and the report should describe the technique and findings. Billing without a modifier represents the global service; modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, while modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff portion when billed separately. For eligible imaging performed in the same session, Medicare's diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction affects 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 71250 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston, MA | $152.25 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Massachusetts | $137.73 | Unavailable |
How the 71250 rate is calculated
Each of 71250’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 · 71250
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.05
1.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.85
2.85 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.07
0.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
3.9700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$132.60
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 71250
The CMS indicators that decide how 71250 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 71250
Chest CT, diagnostic, 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
71250 without 26 · national office
$132.60
Chest CT, diagnostic, without contrast
71250-26 · Professional component
$49.43
Pays only the interpretation and report.
71250 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 71260Chest CT with contrastContrast-enhanced images only
- 71260 applies when the chest scan uses intravenous contrast only. Report 71250 when the chest exam is performed without intravenous contrast.
- 71270Chest CTWithout and with contrast
- 71270 applies when both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced chest images are obtained in one exam. When only noncontrast chest images are obtained, report 71250.
- 71271Lung screening CTLow-dose, without contrast
- 71271 is a low-dose lung cancer screening exam for eligible asymptomatic patients. Use diagnostic chest CT coding for evaluation of symptoms, nodule follow-up, or known disease.
- 71275CT angiographyChest vessels
- 71275 is a contrast-enhanced angiographic study of thoracic vessels, such as the pulmonary arteries or aorta. A noncontrast diagnostic chest CT is reported with 71250, not as CT angiography.
71250 billing questions
Is a high-resolution chest CT for interstitial lung disease reported with this code?
Yes. A noncontrast HRCT protocol, including prone or expiratory images, is reported as one diagnostic chest CT. The HRCT technique does not have a separate chest CT code.
How is a lung nodule follow-up CT coded differently from lung cancer screening?
Follow-up of a known nodule or other abnormality is a diagnostic exam and is reported with 71250 when performed without contrast. Low-dose lung cancer screening for an eligible asymptomatic patient is reported with 71271.
Which modifiers apply when the radiologist reads a hospital-performed scan?
The radiologist reports the interpretation with modifier 26; the hospital reports the technical service on its facility claim. A freestanding imaging provider billing for both the scan and interpretation reports the global service without a modifier.
What happens to payment when a chest CT and an abdomen-pelvis CT are done in the same session?
Report each medically necessary exam with its own code. Medicare's diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction can affect the professional and technical components of eligible services; the order in which the scans occur does not determine the reduction.
If contrast was planned but not given, which code is reported?
Code the service performed. If the entire chest exam was acquired without intravenous contrast, report 71250 even if the order requested a contrast study, and document why contrast was not given.
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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