CPT code 78110: Plasma volume, single sample2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
Reports a single-sample plasma volume study using tracer dilution and blood sampling to measure the circulating plasma compartment.
Medicare pays $76.54–$98.97 for 78110 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. 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.
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On this page 9 sections
What 78110 covers
This study measures circulating plasma volume through tracer dilution and analysis of a blood sample. It may be performed in a nuclear medicine department as part of an evaluation involving suspected abnormal plasma volume or a hematologic blood-volume question. Nuclear medicine staff typically perform the technical work, and a qualified physician interprets the study findings.
Choose this code when the plasma volume protocol uses a single sample; use 78111 when the study uses multiple samples. Documentation should support the plasma-volume measurement, the single-sample protocol, and the interpretation or technical work furnished. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: report modifier 26 for the interpretation, modifier TC for the equipment and staff, or neither modifier when billing 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 78110 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 payment localities
$76.54 to $98.97
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $76.67 | Unavailable |
| Chico, CA | $76.54 | Unavailable |
| El Centro, CA | $76.55 | Unavailable |
| Fresno, CA | $76.54 | Unavailable |
| Hanford, CA | $76.54 | Unavailable |
| Los Angeles, CA | $82.40 | Unavailable |
| Madera, CA | $76.54 | Unavailable |
| Marin County, CA | $96.73 | Unavailable |
| Merced, CA | $76.54 | Unavailable |
| Modesto, CA | $76.54 | Unavailable |
| Napa, CA | $90.80 | Unavailable |
| Oxnard, CA | $82.18 | Unavailable |
| Redding, CA | $76.54 | Unavailable |
| Rest of California | $76.54 | Unavailable |
| Riverside, CA | $77.07 | Unavailable |
| Sacramento, CA | $80.89 | Unavailable |
| Salinas, CA | $80.60 | Unavailable |
| San Benito County, CA | $98.97 | Unavailable |
| San Diego, CA | $82.94 | Unavailable |
| San Francisco, CA | $96.67 | Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $79.25 | Unavailable |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $98.74 | Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $84.07 | Unavailable |
| Santa Maria, CA | $81.03 | Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $84.95 | Unavailable |
| Stockton, CA | $76.54 | Unavailable |
| Vallejo, CA | $90.71 | Unavailable |
| Visalia, CA | $76.54 | Unavailable |
| Yuba City, CA | $76.54 | Unavailable |
How the 78110 rate is calculated
Each of 78110’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 · 78110
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.19
0.19 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.89
1.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.05
0.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.1300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$71.14
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 78110
The CMS indicators that decide how 78110 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78110
Plasma volume, single sample
| 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
78110 without 26 · national office
$71.14
Plasma volume, single sample
78110-26 · Professional component
$7.68
Pays only the interpretation and report.
78110 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 78111Plasma volumeMultiple sampling
- Both codes measure plasma volume; choose 78110 for a single-sample protocol and 78111 for a multiple-sample protocol.
- 78120Red cell massSingle determination
- 78120 measures red cell mass using a single sample. Choose 78110 when the measured compartment is plasma.
- 78122Blood volume testWhole blood determination
- 78122 is for whole blood volume determination; 78110 is specific to plasma volume.
78110 billing questions
How is 78110 different from 78111?
78110 is for a plasma volume study using a single sample. Use 78111 when the protocol uses multiple samples.
Which modifier identifies the physician interpretation?
Append modifier 26 when billing only the professional interpretation. Modifier TC identifies the technical work, including equipment and staff.
When is the global service reported?
Bill 78110 without modifier 26 or TC when the billing entity furnishes both the professional and technical components.
Is this code for red cell mass or total blood volume?
No. 78110 measures plasma volume; 78120 and 78121 measure red cell mass, while 78122 is for whole blood volume determination.
What documentation supports the single-sample code?
The record should identify the plasma volume study and support that its protocol used a single sample. The interpretation should document the physician's findings when the professional component is billed.
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
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