HCPCS code A9529: I-131 sodium iodide, diagnostic solution, per mCi2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports diagnostic iodine-131 sodium iodide in liquid form, measured per millicurie, for thyroid uptake studies and nuclear medicine imaging.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for A9529 in Oregon.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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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 in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland, OR | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Oregon | Unavailable | Unavailable |
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
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
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A9529 isn’t priced in this setting.
A9529 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
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.
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
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