CPT code 77074: Skeletal survey, limited examination2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

A limited series of skeletal radiographs evaluates selected bones, commonly when a clinician is assessing known or suspected metastatic bone disease.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities2.1K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $64.80 for 77074 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $57.23–$87.46.

Medicare rate · 77074

Skeletal survey, limited examination

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
0.43
Total RVUs
1.94
Global days
XXX

National rate · 2026

$64.80

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 77074 →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 77074 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 77074 covers

This service uses plain X-rays of selected skeletal regions to assess a focused bone question, such as known or suspected metastatic involvement. A radiologic technologist obtains the images, and a radiologist typically interprets them. It may be performed in a hospital or outpatient imaging department when the clinical request calls for a limited survey rather than a comprehensive review of the skeleton.

Choose this code when the ordered and performed examination is limited in scope; a complete skeletal survey is a different service. The imaging order and report should identify the clinical reason and the regions examined, with the interpretation supporting the findings. The professional component is the radiologist’s interpretation and is reported with modifier 26; the technical component covers equipment and staff and is reported with modifier TC. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.

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 77074 pays more and less

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

109 payment localities

$57.23 to $87.46

$57.23$72.34$87.46
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

77074 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$58.08Unavailable
Alaska$74.57Unavailable
Arizona$63.08Unavailable
Arkansas$57.23Unavailable
Atlanta, GA$65.89Unavailable
Austin, TX$67.52Unavailable
Bakersfield, CA$69.26Unavailable
Baltimore area, MD$68.93Unavailable
Beaumont, TX$60.28Unavailable
Brazoria, TX$64.18Unavailable

77074 rates by state

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

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.

$57.23

$78.30

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
77074 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$74.571
AL$58.081
AR$57.231
AZ$63.081
CA$69.14–$87.4629
CO$67.821
CT$69.151
DC$74.461
DE$64.151
FL$63.31–$68.853
GA$59.75–$65.892
GU$70.961
HI$70.961
IA$59.821
ID$60.171
IL$61.28–$67.264
IN$60.531
KS$59.421
KY$59.231
LA$59.10–$62.082
MA$67.36–$74.762
MD$65.42–$74.463
ME$60.36–$63.862
MI$60.70–$64.002
MN$65.281
MO$57.99–$62.443
MS$57.621
MT$64.801
NC$61.031
ND$64.001
NE$60.191
NH$66.641
NJ$70.02–$73.652
NM$60.991
NV$64.621
NY$61.95–$76.145
OH$60.541
OK$59.251
OR$64.20–$70.142
PA$60.70–$67.332
PR$65.321
RI$66.551
SC$60.871
SD$63.911
TN$59.711
TX$60.28–$67.528
UT$61.721
VA$63.57–$74.462
VI$65.321
VT$63.651
WA$67.27–$76.422
WI$61.811
WV$58.941
WY$64.451

How the 77074 rate is calculated

Each of 77074’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 · 77074

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work0.43

0.43 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense1.47

1.47 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.04

0.04 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

1.9400

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$64.80

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 77074

The CMS indicators that decide how 77074 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 77074

Skeletal survey, limited examination

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodXXXThe global surgery concept doesn’t apply.
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

77074 without 26 · national office

$64.80

Skeletal survey, limited examination

77074-26 · Professional component

$20.71

Pays only the interpretation and report.

When to use modifier 26

77074 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 77074

    Skeletal survey, limited examination0.43 wRVU

    $64.80

  • 77075

    Skeletal survey, complete examination0.54 wRVU

    $97.86+$33.06

  • 77076

    Skeletal survey, infant0.68 wRVU

    $104.88+$40.08

  • 78306

    Bone imaging, whole body0.84 wRVU

    $259.19+$194.39

How to choose

77075Skeletal surveyComplete examination
77074 describes a limited survey of selected skeletal regions; 77075 is used for a complete skeletal survey.
77076Skeletal surveyInfant
77076 is the skeletal survey code for an infant examination. Use 77074 for a limited survey not designated for infants.
78306Bone imagingWhole body
78306 is whole-body bone scintigraphy using a radiotracer. 77074 is a limited survey using skeletal radiographs.

77074 billing questions

When should 77074 be used instead of 77075?

Use 77074 for a limited skeletal survey of selected regions. Use 77075 when the examination is a complete skeletal survey.

How should the professional and technical services be billed?

Report modifier 26 for the interpretation and modifier TC for the equipment and staff portion. Without a modifier, the code represents the global service.

Should each radiographic view be reported as a separate unit?

The code represents the limited survey, not individual images. The documentation should show the regions examined and support the scope of the survey.

What documentation supports reporting the limited survey?

Keep the order and imaging report showing the clinical reason, the skeletal regions examined, and the radiologist’s interpretation.

Is 77074 the appropriate code for an infant skeletal survey?

No. The infant skeletal survey is represented by 77076; 77074 is for a limited survey.

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
RVUs for 77074PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 8,992 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 77074 pays?

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

Fee sheets · Coming soon

Put 77074 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

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

Join the waitlist