CPT code 78350: Bone density study, single photon2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in New Mexico
Single-photon absorptiometry measures bone mineral at a peripheral skeletal site; CPT 78350 identifies this technique, which Medicare does not cover.
CMS doesn’t publish a rate for 78350 in New Mexico.
Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 78350 nationwide
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 11 sections
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.
How New Mexico compares for 78350
- New Mexico · this pageUnavailable
- Los Angeles, CA · CaliforniaUnavailable
- Washington, DC area · District of ColumbiaUnavailable
- Miami, FL · FloridaUnavailable
- Chicago, IL · IllinoisUnavailable
- Manhattan, NY · New YorkUnavailable
- Alaska · AlaskaUnavailable
Other areas in New Mexico first, then benchmark localities. Bars start at $0.
Every other payment area
78350 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
Explore a state
Local rates. Clear comparisons.
Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.
View every state and territory as a table
| State / territory | Office rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | No published base rate | 1 |
| AL | No published base rate | 1 |
| AR | No published base rate | 1 |
| AZ | No published base rate | 1 |
| CA | No published base rate | 29 |
| CO | No published base rate | 1 |
| CT | No published base rate | 1 |
| DC | No published base rate | 1 |
| DE | No published base rate | 1 |
| FL | No published base rate | 3 |
| GA | No published base rate | 2 |
| GU | No published base rate | 1 |
| HI | No published base rate | 1 |
| IA | No published base rate | 1 |
| ID | No published base rate | 1 |
| IL | No published base rate | 4 |
| IN | No published base rate | 1 |
| KS | No published base rate | 1 |
| KY | No published base rate | 1 |
| LA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MA | No published base rate | 2 |
| MD | No published base rate | 3 |
| ME | No published base rate | 2 |
| MI | No published base rate | 2 |
| MN | No published base rate | 1 |
| MO | No published base rate | 3 |
| MS | No published base rate | 1 |
| MT | No published base rate | 1 |
| NC | No published base rate | 1 |
| ND | No published base rate | 1 |
| NE | No published base rate | 1 |
| NH | No published base rate | 1 |
| NJ | No published base rate | 2 |
| NM | No published base rate | 1 |
| NV | No published base rate | 1 |
| NY | No published base rate | 5 |
| OH | No published base rate | 1 |
| OK | No published base rate | 1 |
| OR | No published base rate | 2 |
| PA | No published base rate | 2 |
| PR | No published base rate | 1 |
| RI | No published base rate | 1 |
| SC | No published base rate | 1 |
| SD | No published base rate | 1 |
| TN | No published base rate | 1 |
| TX | No published base rate | 8 |
| UT | No published base rate | 1 |
| VA | No published base rate | 2 |
| VI | No published base rate | 1 |
| VT | No published base rate | 1 |
| WA | No published base rate | 2 |
| WI | No published base rate | 1 |
| WV | No published base rate | 1 |
| WY | No published base rate | 1 |
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.
How the rate is built · 78350
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.21
0.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.76
0.76 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.02
0.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.9900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$33.07
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 78350
The CMS indicators that decide how 78350 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78350
Bone density study, single photon
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 9 | The concept doesn’t apply. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 9 | The concept doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 9 | The concept doesn’t apply. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 9 | The concept doesn’t apply. |
| Team surgery (66) | 9 | The concept doesn’t apply. |
| 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
78350 without 26 · national facility
$0.00
Bone density study, single photon
78350-26 · Professional component
$0.00
Pays only the interpretation and report.
How 78350 has changed in New Mexico
78350 · Office / nonfacility
Rate unavailable
Effective 2026-10-01
A rate is unavailable in one of these releases, so a change cannot be calculated.
One bar per available release, ordered by effective date. Missing rates remain gaps. These comparisons hold the code, setting and locality identifiers constant; they do not isolate which policy or input caused a change.
What changed, release by release
| Effective from | Office | Facility | CMS release |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU25A |
| 2024-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU24D |
| 2024-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU24C |
| 2024-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU24B |
| 2024-03-09 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU24AR |
| 2024-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU24A |
| 2023-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU23D |
| 2023-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU23C |
| 2023-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU23B |
| 2023-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU23A |
| 2022-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU22D |
| 2022-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU22C |
| 2022-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU22B |
| 2022-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU22A |
| 2021-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU21D |
| 2021-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU21C |
| 2021-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU21B |
| 2021-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU21A |
| 2020-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU20D |
| 2020-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU20C |
| 2020-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU20B |
| 2020-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU20A |
| 2019-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU19D |
| 2019-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU19C |
| 2019-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU19B |
| 2019-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU19A |
| 2018-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU18D |
| 2018-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU18C |
| 2018-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU18B |
| 2018-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU18AR1 |
| 2017-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU17D |
| 2017-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU17C |
| 2017-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU17B |
| 2017-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU17A |
| 2016-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU16D |
| 2016-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU16C |
| 2016-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU16B |
| 2016-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU16A |
| 2015-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU15D |
| 2015-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU15C |
| 2015-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU15B |
| 2015-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU15A |
| 2014-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU14D |
| 2014-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU14C |
| 2014-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU14B |
| 2014-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU14A |
| 2013-10-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU13D |
| 2013-07-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU13C |
| 2013-04-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU13B |
| 2013-01-01 | Separate payment rules apply | Separate payment rules apply | RVU13AR |
Where the New Mexico rate applies
New Mexico is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 528 cities and communities in New Mexico. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.
- Abeytas
- Abiquiu
- Acomita Lake
- Adelino
- Agua Fria
- Alamillo
- Alamo
- Alamogordo
78350 billing questions
How does 78350 differ from 78351?
78350 represents single-photon absorptiometry; 78351 represents dual-photon absorptiometry. Choose based on the technique performed.
Is 78350 a nuclear medicine bone scan?
No. It measures bone mineral by single-photon absorptiometry; bone scans such as 78300 evaluate skeletal radiotracer imaging.
What should the record identify?
Document the single-photon technique and the measured skeletal site, such as the forearm.
Does Medicare cover 78350?
No. Medicare assigns this code physician fee schedule status N, meaning the service is not covered.
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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