CPT code 78299: GI nuclear medicine, unlisted procedure2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Use this code to report a gastrointestinal diagnostic nuclear medicine procedure when no more specific code identifies the examination performed.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 78299 in Texas.
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 78299 covers
78299 identifies an unlisted gastrointestinal diagnostic nuclear medicine procedure, used when no specific listed GI nuclear medicine code describes the service performed. The surrounding code series includes named procedures such as intestine imaging (78290), acute GI blood-loss imaging (78278), a GI protein-loss study (78282), and gastric-emptying imaging (78264); use a named procedure code when it accurately identifies the examination. This code identifies the service as unlisted rather than assigning it to one of those named studies.
CMS assigns physician fee schedule status C, carrier priced: no national payment is published, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim. The test has professional and technical components. Report modifier 26 for interpretation alone, modifier TC for the technical portion, or neither modifier when billing the global service. These component choices distinguish which part of the test is billed; the underlying procedure remains 78299 when no more specific GI nuclear medicine code describes it.
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 78299 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | Unavailable |
How the 78299 rate is calculated
Each of 78299’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 · 78299
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 78299
The CMS indicators that decide how 78299 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78299
GI nuclear medicine, unlisted procedure
| 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
78299 without 26 · national facility
$0.00
GI nuclear medicine, unlisted procedure
78299-26 · Professional component
$0.00
Pays only the interpretation and report.
78299 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 78290Intestinal imagingEctopic gastric mucosa
- 78290 identifies intestine imaging. Use 78299 only when the GI nuclear medicine examination is not described by that or another specific code.
- 78278GI bleeding scanAcute blood loss
- 78278 is the specific code for imaging acute GI blood loss; 78299 is for an examination without a specific code.
- 78282Protein-loss imagingGastrointestinal tract
- 78282 identifies a GI protein-loss study. Use it rather than 78299 when that is the examination performed.
- 78264Gastric emptyingStomach only
- 78264 identifies gastric-emptying imaging. Use it rather than 78299 when the performed study matches that service.
78299 billing questions
When should 78299 be used instead of a specific GI nuclear medicine code?
Use it when no specific listed code describes the examination performed. For example, use a specific code when the service is intestine imaging, acute GI blood-loss imaging, a GI protein-loss study, or gastric-emptying imaging.
When is modifier 26 appropriate?
Use modifier 26 to report the professional interpretation component of the diagnostic test.
When is modifier TC appropriate?
Use modifier TC to report the technical component, which includes the equipment and staff.
How does Medicare price 78299?
Its physician fee schedule status is C, carrier priced. CMS publishes no national payment; the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim.
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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