CPT code 78015: Thyroid metastasis imaging, limited anatomic area2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Michigan
Nuclear medicine imaging of a focused body region evaluates residual or metastatic thyroid cancer, commonly in the neck and chest after thyroidectomy.
Medicare pays $188.79–$199.62 for 78015 in the office in Michigan, from Rest of Michigan to Detroit, MI. 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 78015 covers
This study images a focused region for iodine-avid thyroid cancer after thyroidectomy, such as the neck and chest when evaluating residual thyroid tissue or suspected spread. A nuclear medicine technologist acquires the images, and a nuclear medicine physician or radiologist interprets them. The service is generally performed in a hospital or outpatient nuclear medicine department after administration of the imaging radiopharmaceutical.
Report 78015 when the examination is limited to a defined area rather than covering the whole body. The order and report should support the thyroid cancer indication, the region imaged, and the findings. The code represents a diagnostic test with separately identifiable professional and technical components: report modifier 26 for interpretation, modifier TC for equipment and staff, or neither modifier for 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 78015 pays more and less in Michigan
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit, MI | $199.62 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Michigan | $188.79 | Unavailable |
How the 78015 rate is calculated
Each of 78015’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 · 78015
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.65
0.65 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.38
5.38 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.08
0.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.1100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$204.08
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 78015
The CMS indicators that decide how 78015 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78015
Thyroid metastasis imaging, limited anatomic area
| 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
78015 without 26 · national office
$204.08
Thyroid metastasis imaging, limited anatomic area
78015-26 · Professional component
$31.06
Pays only the interpretation and report.
78015 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 78016Thyroid metastasis imagingWhole body
- Choose 78016 when the examination covers the whole body; 78015 is for a defined, limited region such as the neck and chest.
- 78018Thyroid metastasis scanWhole body with additional imaging
- 78018 is the whole-body thyroid cancer metastasis study with SPECT. 78015 is limited-area imaging.
- 78012Thyroid uptakeUptake measurement only
- 78012 measures thyroid uptake; 78015 produces images of a limited region to evaluate thyroid cancer spread or residual disease.
- 78014Thyroid scanQuantitative uptake measurement
- 78014 images the thyroid gland itself, including vascular flow when performed. 78015 evaluates thyroid cancer in a limited body region.
78015 billing questions
When should 78015 be chosen instead of 78016?
Use 78015 for imaging confined to a limited region, such as the neck and chest. Use 78016 when the examination covers the whole body.
How does 78015 differ from 78018?
78015 describes limited-area imaging. 78018 is the whole-body study performed with SPECT.
Which modifier identifies the interpretation?
Append modifier 26 when billing only the professional interpretation. Modifier TC identifies the technical service, while billing without either modifier represents the global service.
Is 78015 the same as a thyroid uptake measurement?
No. 78015 reports imaging for thyroid cancer in a limited region; 78012 is a thyroid uptake measurement rather than this metastasis-imaging service.
What documentation supports 78015?
The record should identify the thyroid cancer indication, the body region examined, and the imaging findings. The report should make clear that the examination was limited in coverage rather than whole body.
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 78015 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Build my fee sheet