CPT code 78315: Bone imaging, three-phase acquisition2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports a three-phase nuclear bone study that evaluates blood flow, soft-tissue activity, and delayed bone uptake in a targeted clinical assessment.
Medicare pays $279.02–$318.44 for 78315 in the office in Texas, from Beaumont, TX to Austin, TX. 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 78315 covers
This study captures bone-related activity in three stages: blood flow, blood-pool or soft-tissue activity, and delayed skeletal uptake. Nuclear medicine technologists acquire the images, and a nuclear medicine physician or radiologist interprets them. Clinicians commonly request the study when assessing suspected osteomyelitis, a painful joint prosthesis, stress injury, or another focal bone or joint concern where the phases may help characterize the process.
Report 78315 when the performed protocol includes all three phases; a scan of several areas or a whole-body survey alone does not establish that the three-phase service was performed. The record should identify the clinical question and imaged region and support that the three phases were acquired and interpreted. This diagnostic test has separately priced professional and technical components: report modifier 26 for interpretation, modifier TC for 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 78315 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 payment localities
$279.02 to $318.44
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | $318.44 | Unavailable |
| Beaumont, TX | $279.02 | Unavailable |
| Brazoria, TX | $300.41 | Unavailable |
| Dallas, TX | $302.04 | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth, TX | $299.41 | Unavailable |
| Galveston, TX | $301.10 | Unavailable |
| Houston, TX | $302.93 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Texas | $289.35 | Unavailable |
How the 78315 rate is calculated
Each of 78315’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 · 78315
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.99
0.99 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.99
7.99 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.10
0.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
9.0800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$303.28
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 78315
The CMS indicators that decide how 78315 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78315
Bone imaging, three-phase acquisition
| 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
78315 without 26 · national office
$303.28
Bone imaging, three-phase acquisition
78315-26 · Professional component
$46.09
Pays only the interpretation and report.
78315 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 78300Bone scanLimited area
- 78300 describes limited-area bone imaging. Choose 78315 when the examination includes the three phases, rather than selecting it solely because the images cover a small region.
- 78305Bone imagingMultiple areas
- 78305 describes imaging of multiple areas. 78315 is distinguished by its three-phase acquisition, not by the number of sites.
- 78306Bone imagingWhole body
- 78306 describes a whole-body bone study. 78315 identifies a three-phase protocol and is not selected simply because delayed images survey the skeleton.
78315 billing questions
When should 78315 be selected instead of a limited-area bone scan?
Select 78315 when the examination includes the blood-flow, blood-pool, and delayed phases. A limited-area scan describes imaging extent, not a three-phase protocol.
Which modifier identifies the interpretation?
Use modifier 26 for the professional component, which represents interpretation. Modifier TC identifies the technical component; billing without either modifier represents the global service.
What documentation supports 78315?
Document the clinical reason, the region examined, acquisition of all three phases, and the interpreting clinician’s findings.
Does imaging more than one region by itself support 78315?
No. The defining feature is the three-phase protocol, not the number of areas imaged.
Can 78315 be reported for delayed images alone?
No. The performed examination must include the three phases; delayed skeletal images alone do not describe this service.
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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