CPT code 78350: Bone density study, single photon2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California

CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 78350 in California.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 78350 covers

Single-photon absorptiometry measures bone mineral at a peripheral skeletal site, commonly the forearm. It is a bone-density measurement rather than radionuclide bone imaging for skeletal uptake. Radiology or nuclear medicine departments may perform the study, with the ordering and interpreting clinicians documenting the indication, technique, and measured site. Select this code when the study uses the single-photon method.

Medicare lists CPT 78350 with physician fee schedule status N, which means Medicare does not cover the service. The code distinguishes single-photon measurement from dual-photon absorptiometry reported with 78351 and from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry reported with codes such as 77081 or 77080. Documentation should identify the technique and site to distinguish a bone-mineral measurement from skeletal imaging performed for another diagnostic purpose.

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 78350 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 of 29 payment localities

How the 78350 rate is calculated

Each of 78350’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 78350

The CMS indicators that decide how 78350 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 26

78350 compared with similar codes

How to choose

78351Bone mineral studyDual-photon method

Use 78350 for single-photon absorptiometry and 78351 for dual-photon absorptiometry; the codes distinguish the measurement technique.

77081Bone densityAppendicular skeleton

77081 reports peripheral bone-density measurement by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, not single-photon absorptiometry.

78300Bone scanLimited area

78300 is limited-area radionuclide bone imaging. It evaluates skeletal tracer uptake rather than measuring bone mineral density.

Codes related to 78350

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates