CPT code 78815: PET/CT imaging, skull base to mid-thigh2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in New Mexico
Reports PET imaging combined with CT from the skull base through the mid-thigh, commonly for cancer evaluation when this scan extent is performed.
CMS doesn’t publish a rate for 78815 in New Mexico.
Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 78815 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 78815 covers
This service combines positron emission tomography (PET) with CT covering the skull base through the mid-thigh. PET shows the distribution of a radioactive tracer, while CT provides attenuation correction and anatomic localization. Nuclear medicine and radiology physicians interpret the study; imaging centers and hospital departments commonly provide the technical service. It is often used in oncology evaluation, including staging or assessing suspected disease, when this scan extent is performed.
Medicare assigns this CPT code physician fee schedule status C, or carrier priced: CMS publishes no national payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim. The code has a professional interpretation portion, reported with modifier 26, and a technical portion for equipment and staff, reported with modifier TC. Without either modifier, it represents the global service. Code 78815 identifies PET performed with CT for attenuation correction and anatomic localization over this extent.
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 78815
- 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
78815 rates by state
Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.
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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 78815 rate is calculated
Each of 78815’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 · 78815
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 78815
The CMS indicators that decide how 78815 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78815
PET/CT 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
78815 without 26 · national facility
$0.00
PET/CT imaging, skull base to mid-thigh
78815-26 · Professional component
$109.55
Pays only the interpretation and report.
How 78815 has changed in New Mexico
78815 · 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 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU26D |
| 2026-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU26C |
| 2026-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU26B |
| 2026-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU26A |
| 2025-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU25D |
| 2025-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU25C |
| 2025-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU25B |
| 2025-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU25A |
| 2024-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU24D |
| 2024-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU24C |
| 2024-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU24B |
| 2024-03-09 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU24AR |
| 2024-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU24A |
| 2023-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU23D |
| 2023-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU23C |
| 2023-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU23B |
| 2023-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU23A |
| 2022-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU22D |
| 2022-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU22C |
| 2022-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU22B |
| 2022-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU22A |
| 2021-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU21D |
| 2021-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU21C |
| 2021-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU21B |
| 2021-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU21A |
| 2020-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU20D |
| 2020-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU20C |
| 2020-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU20B |
| 2020-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU20A |
| 2019-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU19D |
| 2019-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU19C |
| 2019-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU19B |
| 2019-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU19A |
| 2018-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU18D |
| 2018-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU18C |
| 2018-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU18B |
| 2018-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU18AR1 |
| 2017-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU17D |
| 2017-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU17C |
| 2017-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU17B |
| 2017-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU17A |
| 2016-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU16D |
| 2016-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU16C |
| 2016-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU16B |
| 2016-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU16A |
| 2015-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU15D |
| 2015-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU15C |
| 2015-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU15B |
| 2015-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU15A |
| 2014-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU14D |
| 2014-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU14C |
| 2014-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU14B |
| 2014-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU14A |
| 2013-10-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU13D |
| 2013-07-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU13C |
| 2013-04-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | RVU13B |
| 2013-01-01 | Contractor-priced | Contractor-priced | 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
78815 billing questions
How is this different from 78812?
Both cover PET imaging from the skull base through the mid-thigh. Use 78815 when the study includes CT; 78812 describes PET imaging without the CT component.
When would 78814 be used instead?
78814 describes PET imaging with CT over a limited area. This code describes the skull-base-to-mid-thigh extent.
When is 78816 a better match?
78816 describes PET imaging with CT over the full body. This code is for the skull-base-to-mid-thigh extent.
How do modifiers 26 and TC apply?
Use modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and modifier TC for the technical service. Report the code without either modifier for the global service.
What service does 78815 represent?
It identifies PET performed with CT for attenuation correction and anatomic localization from the skull base through the mid-thigh.
How does Medicare price this code?
Its physician fee schedule status is C, or 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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