CPT code 78099: Unlisted endocrine test, nuclear medicine2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Louisiana
Report an unlisted endocrine nuclear medicine diagnostic procedure when no specific listed code describes the study performed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 78099 in Louisiana.
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 78099 covers
78099 identifies an unlisted endocrine diagnostic nuclear medicine procedure: a study in this service area that lacks a specific listed code describing what was performed. It is not the selection for a thyroid uptake, thyroid imaging, parathyroid planar imaging, parathyroid imaging with SPECT and CT, or adrenal cortex-and-medulla imaging service when a corresponding specific code describes the procedure. These specific services are represented by nearby codes such as 78012, 78013, 78014, 78070, 78071, 78072, and 78075.
Medicare assigns 78099 physician fee schedule status C (carrier priced): CMS publishes no national payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim. The diagnostic test has professional and technical components. Modifier 26 identifies interpretation, while modifier TC identifies the equipment-and-staff portion. Billing without either modifier represents the global service. Select the reporting form that matches the portion furnished.
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 78099 pays more and less in Louisiana
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans, LA | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Louisiana | Unavailable | Unavailable |
How the 78099 rate is calculated
Each of 78099’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 · 78099
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 78099
The CMS indicators that decide how 78099 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78099
Unlisted endocrine test, nuclear medicine
| 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
78099 without 26 · national facility
$0.00
Unlisted endocrine test, nuclear medicine
78099-26 · Professional component
$0.00
Pays only the interpretation and report.
78099 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 78012Thyroid uptakeUptake measurement only
- 78012 identifies a thyroid uptake measurement. Use 78099 only when no specific listed code describes the endocrine nuclear medicine procedure.
- 78014Thyroid scanQuantitative uptake measurement
- 78014 identifies a specific thyroid imaging service. Choose it when that service was performed; reserve 78099 for an unlisted procedure.
- 78070Parathyroid imagingPlanar only
- 78070 identifies parathyroid planar imaging. It is the specific choice when the procedure matches that service.
- 78075Adrenal imagingCortex or medulla
- 78075 identifies adrenal cortex and medulla imaging. Use 78099 only for an endocrine nuclear medicine procedure not represented by a specific code.
78099 billing questions
When should 78099 be used instead of a specific thyroid or parathyroid code?
Use 78099 when no listed code accurately describes the endocrine diagnostic nuclear medicine procedure. Use a specific thyroid or parathyroid code when it describes the study performed.
How does Medicare price 78099?
It has physician fee schedule status C, or carrier priced. CMS publishes no national payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim.
Which modifiers identify the professional and technical portions?
Modifier 26 identifies interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical portion involving equipment and staff.
What does a claim without modifier 26 or TC represent?
Billing without either modifier represents the global service, including the professional and technical components.
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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