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HCPCS code A9529: I-131 sodium iodide, diagnostic solution, per mCi2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports diagnostic iodine-131 sodium iodide in liquid form, measured per millicurie, for thyroid uptake studies and nuclear medicine imaging.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare rate · A9529

I-131 sodium iodide, diagnostic solution, per mCi

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
0
Total RVUs
0.00
Global days
XXX

National rate · 2026

—

Not priced in the facility setting.

See every locality for A9529 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What A9529 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What A9529 covers

This code identifies diagnostic iodine-131 sodium iodide supplied as a liquid solution, counted by millicurie. Nuclear medicine departments typically administer it orally for thyroid uptake measurements or thyroid imaging. The thyroid concentrates iodide, helping clinicians assess uptake and visualize thyroid tissue during diagnostic evaluations, including workups for hyperthyroidism. Nuclear medicine physicians and radiology practices report the radiopharmaceutical with the related uptake or imaging service when performed.

Medicare assigns this code carrier-priced status C: there is no national Physician Fee Schedule payment, and the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim. HCPCS pricing also assigns payment to the contractor, while coverage is left to that contractor’s judgment. Each unit represents 1 millicurie of the solution; a 5-millicurie dose corresponds to 5 units. This code identifies the diagnostic solution, not the thyroid imaging or uptake procedure itself.

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 A9529 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

A9529 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailableUnavailable
AlaskaUnavailableUnavailable
ArizonaUnavailableUnavailable
ArkansasUnavailableUnavailable
Atlanta, GAUnavailableUnavailable
Austin, TXUnavailableUnavailable
Bakersfield, CAUnavailableUnavailable
Baltimore area, MDUnavailableUnavailable
Beaumont, TXUnavailableUnavailable
Brazoria, TXUnavailableUnavailable

A9529 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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
A9529 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the A9529 rate is calculated

Each of A9529’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 · A9529

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

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 A9529

A9529 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.

Place of service · A9529

Which rate does Medicare pay?

The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).

POS 11 · non-facility rate · national

—

A9529 isn’t priced in this setting.

A9529 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • A9529

    I-131 sodium iodide, diagnostic solution, per mCi0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • A9528

    Iodine-131 capsule, diagnostic, per millicurie0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • A9516

    Iodine-123 sodium iodide, per 100 microcuries0 wRVU

    Not priced

  • A9530

    Iodine-131 solution, therapeutic, per millicurie0 wRVU

    Not priced

How to choose

A9528Iodine-131 capsuleDiagnostic, per millicurie
Both identify diagnostic iodine-131 sodium iodide, but A9528 is the capsule form; this code is for solution.
A9516Iodine-123 sodium iodidePer 100 microcuries
A9516 identifies diagnostic iodine-123 sodium iodide. This code identifies diagnostic iodine-131 sodium iodide solution.
A9530Iodine-131 solutionTherapeutic, per millicurie
A9530 is for iodine-131 sodium iodide solution used therapeutically; this code identifies diagnostic solution.

Codes related to A9529

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

Codes related to A9529
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Same family
A9528Iodine-131 capsule, diagnostic, per millicurieDiagnostic iodine-131 sodium iodide in capsule form rather than solution.No office rate
A9530Iodine-131 solution, therapeutic, per millicurieIodine-131 sodium iodide solution identified for therapeutic use.No office rate
Used instead
A9516Iodine-123 sodium iodide, per 100 microcuriesDiagnostic iodine-123 sodium iodide is another radioiodine option for thyroid evaluation.No office rate
Often billed with
78014Thyroid scan, quantitative uptake measurementThyroid imaging with uptake may be performed with the diagnostic radiopharmaceutical.$182.55–$296.36
78012Thyroid uptake, uptake measurement onlyThyroid uptake measurement may accompany administration of the diagnostic radiopharmaceutical.$69.29–$112.28

A9529 billing questions

When should this code be used instead of A9528?

Use this code for diagnostic iodine-131 sodium iodide supplied as a solution. A9528 identifies the diagnostic capsule form.

How many units should be reported?

Each unit represents 1 millicurie. For example, a 5-millicurie dose corresponds to 5 units.

Does this code represent the thyroid scan?

No. It identifies the diagnostic radiopharmaceutical. A thyroid uptake or imaging procedure, such as the service represented by 78014, is a separate service.

How does Medicare set payment and coverage?

The code has carrier-priced status C, so the Medicare Administrative Contractor sets payment for each claim rather than CMS publishing a national Physician Fee Schedule payment. The contractor also determines coverage.

Is this the code for therapeutic iodine-131 solution?

No. This code is for diagnostic solution. A9530 identifies iodine-131 sodium iodide solution for therapeutic use.

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

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