CPT code 78185: Spleen imaging, radionuclide study2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports a nuclear medicine study of splenic tissue when clinicians need imaging assessment, such as evaluating suspected accessory or ectopic splenic tissue.
Medicare pays $135.00–$147.61 for 78185 in the office in Missouri, from Rest of Missouri to Metropolitan St. Louis, MO. 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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What 78185 covers
This code covers a nuclear medicine examination that produces images of splenic tissue and its distribution. It may be used when a clinician needs to assess splenic tissue, including in a workup for suspected accessory or ectopic spleen. A nuclear medicine technologist typically performs the imaging in a hospital department or imaging facility, and a qualified physician interprets the study.
Select the code when the documented service is spleen imaging, rather than a blood-volume, cell-survival, or sequestration study. The imaging record should support the spleen study performed, and the physician report should document the interpretation. CMS allows the service to be billed globally, with both components, or as the professional component using modifier 26 or the technical component using modifier TC. Use the component claim that reflects the work furnished by the billing entity.
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 78185 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
3 payment localities
$135.00 to $147.61
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | $145.76 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | $147.61 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Missouri | $135.00 | Unavailable |
How the 78185 rate is calculated
Each of 78185’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 · 78185
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.39
0.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense4.18
4.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.05
0.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.6200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$154.31
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 78185
The CMS indicators that decide how 78185 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78185
Spleen imaging, radionuclide study
| 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
78185 without 26 · national office
$154.31
Spleen imaging, radionuclide study
78185-26 · Professional component
$15.70
Pays only the interpretation and report.
78185 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 78140Red-cell studySplenic sequestration
- Choose 78185 for images of splenic tissue; choose 78140 when the service is a red cell sequestration study.
- 78215Liver-spleen scanStatic images only
- 78215 is for combined liver-and-spleen imaging with planar acquisition; 78185 reports spleen imaging.
- 78216Liver-spleen scanWith vascular flow
- 78216 is for combined liver-and-spleen imaging with SPECT; 78185 reports spleen imaging.
78185 billing questions
How is 78185 different from a red cell sequestration study?
78185 reports imaging of splenic tissue. Code 78140 describes a red cell sequestration study, which evaluates red-cell handling rather than reporting spleen images.
Can the professional and technical portions be billed separately?
Yes. Report modifier 26 for the physician's interpretation or TC for the equipment and staff portion. A claim without either modifier represents the global service.
When should a combined liver-and-spleen imaging code be considered?
Use a combined liver-and-spleen imaging code when the documented examination images both organs. Code 78185 is for the spleen imaging service.
What documentation supports reporting 78185?
The record should identify the spleen imaging performed, and the interpreting physician's report should document the findings. Technical-component documentation should support the imaging acquisition.
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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