$31.79–$48.97
Count abdominal projections rather than exposures: one view is 74018; two views are 74019.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
74018 Abdomen X-ray Medicare reimbursement rates
Report 74018 for a single-view abdominal radiograph, commonly called a KUB, obtained to assess bowel gas patterns, radiopaque stones, or tube position. Compare 74018 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 74018?
The service location and office or facility setting determine which base rate applies. These are the supported base rates for the 109 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$26.15–$40.26
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $14.11 per service.
Facility setting
No supported rate
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Where 74018 pays more and less
109 payment localities
$26.15 to $40.26
Radiology
About 74018: Abdominal radiograph, single view
Report 74018 for a single-view abdominal radiograph, commonly called a KUB, obtained to assess bowel gas patterns, radiopaque stones, or tube position.
A technologist obtains one projection of the abdomen, commonly a supine kidney-ureter-bladder (KUB) view, in an office, imaging center, emergency department, or at the bedside. Clinicians order it to evaluate bowel gas in suspected obstruction or ileus, locate radiopaque urinary stones or ingested objects, and check enteric tube position when the anatomy needed for confirmation is visible. A radiologist or other qualified interpreting physician reviews the images and documents findings. More than one exposure may be needed to cover the abdomen without creating another view.
Select 74018 by the number of abdominal projections, not the number of images or findings; document the projection obtained and its interpretation. Two abdominal views belong to 74019, three or more to 74021, and a complete acute abdomen series with chest imaging belongs to 74022. Medicare prices the interpretation separately with modifier 26 and the equipment and staff portion with modifier TC. Bill the combined service without a component modifier when the same billing entity provides both portions. For hospital imaging, the physician generally reports modifier 26; the facility reports its technical service.
CMS billing rules for 74018
- Professional and technical components
- Diagnostic test with a professional component (modifier 26, interpretation) and a technical component (modifier TC, equipment and staff); billing without a modifier is the global service.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.18 · 20%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.69 · 78%
- Malpractice RVU0.02 · 2%
2M
Medicare services in 2024 · #82 by national volume
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.
74018 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
$37.15–$57.20
Use 74021 for three or more abdominal views rather than the single view covered by 74018. A complete acute abdomen series with a chest view is reported with 74022.
$43.58–$66.94
74022 describes a complete acute abdomen series with multiple abdominal views and a chest view. A single abdominal view, with or without a separately ordered chest film, is not that series.
See how rates vary across the country
74018 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
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.
$26.15
$36.00
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $33.93 | 1 |
| AL | $26.56 | 1 |
| AR | $26.15 | 1 |
| AZ | $28.92 | 1 |
| CA | $31.73–$40.26 | 29 |
| CO | $31.13 | 1 |
| CT | $31.76 | 1 |
| DC | $34.23 | 1 |
| DE | $29.41 | 1 |
| FL | $29.05–$31.69 | 3 |
| GA | $27.37–$30.25 | 2 |
| GU | $32.60 | 1 |
| HI | $32.60 | 1 |
| IA | $27.37 | 1 |
| ID | $27.53 | 1 |
| IL | $28.10–$30.91 | 4 |
| IN | $27.70 | 1 |
| KS | $27.18 | 1 |
| KY | $27.11 | 1 |
| LA | $27.05–$28.46 | 2 |
| MA | $30.91–$34.37 | 2 |
| MD | $30.01–$34.23 | 3 |
| ME | $27.63–$29.27 | 2 |
| MI | $27.81–$29.38 | 2 |
| MN | $29.92 | 1 |
| MO | $26.53–$28.62 | 3 |
| MS | $26.35 | 1 |
| MT | $29.73 | 1 |
| NC | $27.94 | 1 |
| ND | $29.33 | 1 |
| NE | $27.54 | 1 |
| NH | $30.59 | 1 |
| NJ | $32.15–$33.84 | 2 |
| NM | $27.95 | 1 |
| NV | $29.64 | 1 |
| NY | $28.38–$35.04 | 5 |
| OH | $27.73 | 1 |
| OK | $27.11 | 1 |
| OR | $29.44–$32.21 | 2 |
| PA | $27.80–$30.91 | 2 |
| PR | $29.97 | 1 |
| RI | $30.53 | 1 |
| SC | $27.88 | 1 |
| SD | $29.28 | 1 |
| TN | $27.32 | 1 |
| TX | $27.61–$31.00 | 8 |
| UT | $28.28 | 1 |
| VA | $29.14–$34.23 | 2 |
| VI | $29.97 | 1 |
| VT | $29.17 | 1 |
| WA | $30.87–$35.14 | 2 |
| WI | $28.30 | 1 |
| WV | $27.00 | 1 |
| WY | $29.55 | 1 |
Compare 74018 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Office $26.56 | Facility Unavailable |
| Alaska* | Office $33.93 | Facility Unavailable |
| Arizona | Office $28.92 | Facility Unavailable |
| Arkansas | Office $26.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Atlanta | Office $30.25 | Facility Unavailable |
| Austin | Office $31.00 | Facility Unavailable |
| Bakersfield | Office $31.79 | Facility Unavailable |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office $31.66 | Facility Unavailable |
| Beaumont | Office $27.61 | Facility Unavailable |
| Brazoria | Office $29.42 | Facility Unavailable |
| Chicago | Office $30.75 | Facility Unavailable |
| Chico | Office $31.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Colorado | Office $31.13 | Facility Unavailable |
| Connecticut | Office $31.76 | Facility Unavailable |
| Dallas | Office $29.59 | Facility Unavailable |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office $34.23 | Facility Unavailable |
| Delaware | Office $29.41 | Facility Unavailable |
| Detroit | Office $29.38 | Facility Unavailable |
| East St. Louis | Office $28.56 | Facility Unavailable |
| El Centro | Office $31.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office $30.57 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | Office $29.37 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fresno | Office $31.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Galveston | Office $29.50 | Facility Unavailable |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $31.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office $32.60 | Facility Unavailable |
| Houston | Office $29.86 | Facility Unavailable |
| Idaho | Office $27.53 | Facility Unavailable |
| Indiana | Office $27.70 | Facility Unavailable |
| Iowa | Office $27.37 | Facility Unavailable |
| Kansas | Office $27.18 | Facility Unavailable |
| Kentucky | Office $27.11 | Facility Unavailable |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $33.97 | Facility Unavailable |
| Madera | Office $31.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Manhattan | Office $34.24 | Facility Unavailable |
| Merced | Office $31.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office $34.37 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office $28.31 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office $30.91 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office $28.62 | Facility Unavailable |
| Miami | Office $31.69 | Facility Unavailable |
| Minnesota | Office $29.92 | Facility Unavailable |
| Mississippi | Office $26.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Modesto | Office $31.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Montana** | Office $29.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Napa | Office $37.11 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nebraska | Office $27.54 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nevada** | Office $29.64 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Hampshire | Office $30.59 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Mexico | Office $27.95 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Orleans | Office $28.46 | Facility Unavailable |
| North Carolina | Office $27.94 | Facility Unavailable |
| North Dakota** | Office $29.33 | Facility Unavailable |
| Northern Nj | Office $33.84 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office $35.04 | Facility Unavailable |
| Ohio | Office $27.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Oklahoma | Office $27.11 | Facility Unavailable |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $33.84 | Facility Unavailable |
| Portland | Office $32.21 | Facility Unavailable |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office $32.33 | Facility Unavailable |
| Puerto Rico | Office $29.97 | Facility Unavailable |
| Queens | Office $34.60 | Facility Unavailable |
| Redding | Office $31.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of California | Office $31.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Florida | Office $29.05 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office $27.37 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office $28.10 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office $27.05 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maine | Office $27.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office $30.01 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office $30.91 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office $27.81 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office $26.53 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office $32.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of New York | Office $28.38 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office $29.44 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office $27.80 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $28.49 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Washington | Office $30.87 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rhode Island | Office $30.53 | Facility Unavailable |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $31.95 | Facility Unavailable |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $33.39 | Facility Unavailable |
| Salinas | Office $33.27 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $34.12 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $39.39 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $39.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $40.26 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $40.17 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $32.72 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $34.50 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $33.41 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $34.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office $35.14 | Facility Unavailable |
| South Carolina | Office $27.88 | Facility Unavailable |
| South Dakota** | Office $29.28 | Facility Unavailable |
| Southern Maine | Office $29.27 | Facility Unavailable |
| Stockton | Office $31.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| Suburban Chicago | Office $30.91 | Facility Unavailable |
| Tennessee | Office $27.32 | Facility Unavailable |
| Utah | Office $28.28 | Facility Unavailable |
| Vallejo | Office $37.07 | Facility Unavailable |
| Vermont | Office $29.17 | Facility Unavailable |
| Virgin Islands | Office $29.97 | Facility Unavailable |
| Virginia | Office $29.14 | Facility Unavailable |
| Visalia | Office $31.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| West Virginia | Office $27.00 | Facility Unavailable |
| Wisconsin | Office $28.30 | Facility Unavailable |
| Wyoming** | Office $29.55 | Facility Unavailable |
| Yuba City | Office $31.73 | Facility Unavailable |
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74018 billing questions
When should 74018 be reported instead of the two-view code?
Report 74018 for one abdominal projection. If a second projection, such as an upright or decubitus view, is obtained, use 74019 instead.
Which modifier does a radiologist interpreting a hospital film use?
The interpreting physician appends modifier 26 to report the interpretation and signed report. The hospital reports its technical service on the facility claim.
Can a single-view abdomen and a single-view chest be reported together?
When separately ordered and performed as distinct exams, report the one-view abdomen with 74018 and the one-view chest with 71045. A complete acute abdomen series with multiple abdominal views and a chest view is reported with 74022.
Do multiple images of the same abdominal projection count as multiple views?
No. If additional images extend coverage of the same projection, select 74018 based on the single view rather than the number of exposures.
How is the technical portion of a one-view abdominal study reported?
The entity furnishing the equipment and staff reports 74018 with modifier TC when billing only that portion. An entity furnishing both the technical service and interpretation reports 74018 without a component modifier.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
8,28573725,,Mr ang lwr ext w or w/o dye,R,,1.77,8.17,,8.17,NA,0.15,10.09,10.09,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,11.21,11.21,0.17
8,28673725,26,Mr ang lwr ext w or w/o dye,R,,1.77,0.60,,0.60,,0.11,2.48,2.48,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,28773725,TC,Mr ang lwr ext w or w/o dye,R,,0.00,7.57,,7.57,NA,0.04,7.61,7.61,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,10.61,10.61,0.06
8,28874018,,Radex abdomen 1 view,A,,0.18,0.69,,0.69,NA,0.02,0.89,0.89,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,2.69,2.69,0.05
8,28974018,26,Radex abdomen 1 view,A,,0.18,0.07,,0.07,,0.01,0.26,0.26,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,29074018,TC,Radex abdomen 1 view,A,,0.00,0.62,,0.62,NA,0.01,0.63,0.63,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,2.62,2.62,0.04
8,29174019,,Radex abdomen 2 views,A,,0.22,0.84,,0.84,NA,0.02,1.08,1.08,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.25,3.25,0.05