CPT code 78812: PET imaging, skull base to mid-thigh2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
PET imaging from the skull base through the mid-thigh is reported for metabolic evaluation when that scan range is performed without concurrently acquired CT.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 78812 in Missouri.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 78812 covers
This service captures positron emission tomography images from the skull base through the mid-thigh to show the distribution of a radiotracer. Nuclear medicine and radiology teams commonly perform the study for cancer evaluation, including staging or assessment of disease extent. This code describes PET imaging without concurrently acquired CT for attenuation correction and anatomic localization; a PET/CT study covering the same range is represented by a different code.
Medicare assigns this CPT code carrier-priced status C: CMS publishes no national payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim. The study has professional and technical components. Report modifier 26 for the interpretation, modifier TC for the equipment and staff, or no 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 78812 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.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | Unavailable |
How the 78812 rate is calculated
Each of 78812’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 · 78812
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 78812
The CMS indicators that decide how 78812 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78812
PET imaging, skull base to mid-thigh
| 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
78812 without 26 · national facility
$0.00
PET imaging, skull base to mid-thigh
78812-26 · Professional component
$86.51
Pays only the interpretation and report.
78812 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 78811PET imagingLimited area
- Choose 78811 for PET imaging of a limited area. Choose 78812 when the scan extends from the skull base through the mid-thigh.
- 78813Whole-body PETWithout CT
- 78813 describes whole-body PET imaging; 78812 describes PET imaging from the skull base through the mid-thigh.
- 78815PET/CT imagingSkull base to mid-thigh
- Both cover the skull-base-to-mid-thigh range, but 78815 describes PET with concurrently acquired CT for attenuation correction and anatomic localization.
- 78814PET with CTLimited area
- 78814 describes limited-area PET/CT. 78812 describes PET over the skull-base-to-mid-thigh range without concurrently acquired CT.
78812 billing questions
How does 78812 differ from 78811?
78812 describes PET imaging from the skull base through the mid-thigh. 78811 is for PET imaging of a limited area, such as the chest or head and neck.
When should 78815 be considered instead?
Use 78815 for PET imaging from the skull base through the mid-thigh when CT is concurrently acquired for attenuation correction and anatomic localization.
Which modifier identifies the professional interpretation?
Append modifier 26 for the professional component. Modifier TC identifies the technical component; billing without either modifier represents the global service.
How does Medicare price 78812?
It has carrier-priced status C. CMS publishes no national payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim.
Does 78812 describe whole-body PET imaging?
No. It describes imaging from the skull base through the mid-thigh; 78813 is the related whole-body PET imaging code.
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
Fee sheets · Coming soon
Put 78812 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Join the waitlist