CPT code 76940: Tissue ablation guidance, ultrasound guidance2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Ultrasound imaging guides and monitors ablation of parenchymal tissue, such as a solid-organ lesion, during the ablation procedure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 76940 in Texas.
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 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 in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | Unavailable |
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
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
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | YYY | The Medicare contractor sets the global period. |
| 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
76940 without 26 · national facility
$0.00
Tissue ablation guidance, ultrasound guidance
76940-26 · Professional component
$102.54
Pays only the interpretation and report.
76940 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
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.
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
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