FeeBase
Log inGet started
Menu

CPT code 76940: Tissue ablation guidance, ultrasound guidance2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Ultrasound imaging guides and monitors ablation of parenchymal tissue, such as a solid-organ lesion, during the ablation procedure.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities996 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare rate · 76940

Tissue ablation guidance, ultrasound guidance

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
0
Total RVUs
0.00
Global days
YYY

National rate · 2026

—

Not priced in the facility setting.

See every locality for 76940 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 76940 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 76940 covers

This service uses ultrasound to guide the ablation target and monitor treatment of parenchymal tissue. It may accompany image-guided treatment of solid-organ lesions, including liver or kidney lesions. The procedural physician or an imaging specialist may perform the ultrasound portion in a hospital or outpatient setting. The ablation treatment itself is reported separately with the applicable procedure code.

Medicare assigns this CPT code carrier-priced status: CMS publishes no national payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim. Medicare treats it as a diagnostic test with professional and technical components. Modifier 26 identifies the interpretation; modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff portion. Reporting the code without either modifier represents the global service. The contractor also sets the global period. The code is not dose-based; documentation should support ultrasound guidance and monitoring during tissue ablation.

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 76940 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

76940 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailableUnavailable
AlaskaUnavailableUnavailable
ArizonaUnavailableUnavailable
ArkansasUnavailableUnavailable
Atlanta, GAUnavailableUnavailable
Austin, TXUnavailableUnavailable
Bakersfield, CAUnavailableUnavailable
Baltimore area, MDUnavailableUnavailable
Beaumont, TXUnavailableUnavailable
Brazoria, TXUnavailableUnavailable

76940 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

View every state and territory as a table
76940 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 76940 rate is calculated

Each of 76940’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 · 76940

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work0.00

0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.00

0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.00

0.00 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

0.0000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$0.00

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 76940

The CMS indicators that decide how 76940 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 76940

Tissue ablation guidance, ultrasound guidance

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodYYYThe Medicare contractor sets the global period.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical1Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 26 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

76940 without 26 · national facility

$0.00

Tissue ablation guidance, ultrasound guidance

76940-26 · Professional component

$102.54

Pays only the interpretation and report.

When to use modifier 26

76940 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 76940

    Tissue ablation guidance, ultrasound guidance0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 76942

    Ultrasound needle guidance, biopsy, aspiration, injection, or localization0.65 wRVU

    $64.13

  • 76998

    Intraoperative ultrasound, surgical guidance0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 76965

    Ultrasound guidance, interstitial radiation application1.31 wRVU

    $96.53

How to choose

76942Ultrasound needle guidanceBiopsy, aspiration, injection, or localization
76942 covers ultrasound guidance for needle placement, such as biopsy, aspiration, or injection. Use 76940 for ultrasound guidance and monitoring during parenchymal tissue ablation.
76998Intraoperative ultrasoundSurgical guidance
76998 describes intraoperative ultrasound guidance more generally. 76940 is specific to ultrasound guidance and monitoring during tissue ablation.
76965Ultrasound guidanceInterstitial radiation application
76965 is ultrasound guidance for radiotherapy. 76940 concerns guidance and monitoring of parenchymal tissue ablation.

Codes related to 76940

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 76940
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Often billed with
47382Liver ablation, percutaneous radiofrequencyPercutaneous radiofrequency ablation of liver tumors may be reported with ultrasound guidance and monitoring.$2,996.52–$4,734.92
50592Renal tumor ablation, percutaneous radiofrequencyPercutaneous radiofrequency ablation of renal tumors may be reported with ultrasound guidance and monitoring.$2,274.44–$3,689.14
Used instead
76942Ultrasound needle guidance, biopsy, aspiration, injection, or localizationUsed for ultrasound guidance of needle placement when the service is not ablation guidance and monitoring.$57.69–$84.06
76998Intraoperative ultrasound, surgical guidanceUsed for intraoperative ultrasound guidance when the service is not specifically ablation guidance and monitoring.No office rate

76940 billing questions

How is this different from 76942?

76940 identifies ultrasound guidance and monitoring during parenchymal tissue ablation. 76942 is for ultrasound guidance for needle placement, such as for a biopsy or injection.

Is the ablation treatment included?

No. This code reports the ultrasound guidance and monitoring service, not the tissue ablation treatment itself; report the applicable ablation procedure separately.

Which modifiers identify the components?

Use modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and modifier TC for the technical portion. Reporting without either modifier represents the global service.

How does Medicare set payment?

The code has carrier-priced status. CMS publishes no national payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim.

What should the record support?

Document ultrasound guidance of the treatment target and monitoring during parenchymal tissue ablation, along with the interpretation or technical work performed when billing a component.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 76940 pays?

Tell us what you were actually trying to work out. We’ll answer you directly, or build the page that does.

Fee sheets

Put 76940 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.

Build my fee sheet