Billing code 71271: Lung screening CTMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $136.28 for 71271 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $121.09–$182.45.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 71271 covers

Code 71271 represents a low-dose, noncontrast CT acquisition of the chest performed to screen for lung cancer, rather than to investigate symptoms or a known abnormality. A CT technologist typically performs the scan in an outpatient imaging department or imaging center, and a radiologist reviews the images for pulmonary nodules and other suspicious findings. The service is used for screening in eligible patients without lung cancer symptoms; a nodule already under diagnostic evaluation or a new respiratory complaint calls for diagnostic imaging selection instead.

Report 71271 for the screening study and retain documentation identifying its screening purpose and low-dose, noncontrast protocol; the radiology report supports the interpretation. A radiology group may bill the professional interpretation with modifier 26, the imaging facility may bill the equipment and staff with modifier TC, and a supplier furnishing the complete service bills globally without either modifier. CMS applies the diagnostic-imaging multiple-procedure reduction to both the technical and professional components when applicable.

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 71271 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

71271 rates by state

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

How the 71271 rate is calculated

Each of 71271’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 71271

The CMS indicators that decide how 71271 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 26

71271 compared with similar codes

How to choose

71250Chest CT

71271 is low-dose, noncontrast imaging for lung cancer screening. 71250 is a diagnostic chest CT without contrast.

71260Chest CT with contrast

71260 is a diagnostic chest CT performed with contrast; 71271 is a low-dose, noncontrast screening study.

71270Chest CT

71270 is diagnostic chest imaging performed without and with contrast. 71271 is used for lung cancer screening without contrast.

71275Ct angiography chest

71275 is chest CT angiography for vascular imaging. 71271 is a low-dose chest CT performed to screen for lung cancer.

Codes related to 71271

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

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