$34.57–$54.01
Both assess axial bone density, but 77078 is CT-based and 77080 is DXA-based. Select the code for the method actually performed.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
77078 CT bone density Medicare reimbursement rates
Reports CT-based quantitative bone-density assessment of the axial skeleton, commonly used to evaluate osteoporosis when a CT method is selected. Compare 77078 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 77078?
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
$85.83–$139.30
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $53.47 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 77078 pays more and less
109 payment localities
$85.83 to $139.30
Radiology
About 77078: Axial CT bone density study
Reports CT-based quantitative bone-density assessment of the axial skeleton, commonly used to evaluate osteoporosis when a CT method is selected.
This service uses computed tomography and quantitative analysis to assess bone mineral density at one or more axial-skeleton sites, commonly the spine. It is used in osteoporosis evaluation and may be selected when spinal degenerative changes could complicate interpretation of a DXA measurement. A technologist typically acquires the images, and a qualified practitioner interprets the study and reports the findings in an imaging or outpatient setting.
Report 77078 for the CT bone-density study of the axial skeleton, not for DXA or a peripheral-site study. Documentation should identify the axial site examined, the CT-based measurement method, and the interpretation. CMS recognizes separate professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff portion, and billing without either modifier represents the global service.
CMS billing rules for 77078
- 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 RVU0.24 · 8%
- Practice expense (office) RVU2.70 · 91%
- Malpractice RVU0.02 · 1%
11.5K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1402 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.
77078 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
$47.67–$74.08
77085 reports axial DXA with vertebral fracture assessment. 77078 reports CT-based axial bone-density measurement.
$27.97–$42.93
77081 is for DXA assessment of the appendicular skeleton, while 77078 is for CT-based assessment of the axial skeleton.
See how rates vary across the country
77078 · 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.
$85.83
$123.33
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 | $108.44 | 1 |
| AL | $87.30 | 1 |
| AR | $85.83 | 1 |
| AZ | $95.97 | 1 |
| CA | $107.35–$139.30 | 29 |
| CO | $104.59 | 1 |
| CT | $106.11 | 1 |
| DC | $115.43 | 1 |
| DE | $97.76 | 1 |
| FL | $95.23–$103.59 | 3 |
| GA | $89.26–$100.47 | 2 |
| GU | $110.94 | 1 |
| HI | $110.94 | 1 |
| IA | $90.80 | 1 |
| ID | $91.30 | 1 |
| IL | $91.40–$101.87 | 4 |
| IN | $91.94 | 1 |
| KS | $89.88 | 1 |
| KY | $88.80 | 1 |
| LA | $88.47–$93.64 | 2 |
| MA | $103.64–$116.62 | 2 |
| MD | $99.97–$115.43 | 3 |
| ME | $91.40–$97.81 | 2 |
| MI | $91.11–$96.17 | 2 |
| MN | $101.01 | 1 |
| MO | $86.40–$94.54 | 3 |
| MS | $86.16 | 1 |
| MT | $98.87 | 1 |
| NC | $92.58 | 1 |
| ND | $98.47 | 1 |
| NE | $91.51 | 1 |
| NH | $102.48 | 1 |
| NJ | $107.55–$113.85 | 2 |
| NM | $91.52 | 1 |
| NV | $98.85 | 1 |
| NY | $94.16–$117.00 | 5 |
| OH | $91.03 | 1 |
| OK | $89.07 | 1 |
| OR | $98.31–$108.83 | 2 |
| PA | $91.43–$102.84 | 2 |
| PR | $99.85 | 1 |
| RI | $101.92 | 1 |
| SC | $91.91 | 1 |
| SD | $98.42 | 1 |
| TN | $90.35 | 1 |
| TX | $90.70–$104.04 | 8 |
| UT | $93.39 | 1 |
| VA | $97.14–$115.43 | 2 |
| VI | $99.85 | 1 |
| VT | $97.63 | 1 |
| WA | $103.59–$119.62 | 2 |
| WI | $94.62 | 1 |
| WV | $87.34 | 1 |
| WY | $98.69 | 1 |
Compare 77078 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 $87.30 | Facility Unavailable |
| Alaska* | Office $108.44 | Facility Unavailable |
| Arizona | Office $95.97 | Facility Unavailable |
| Arkansas | Office $85.83 | Facility Unavailable |
| Atlanta | Office $100.47 | Facility Unavailable |
| Austin | Office $104.04 | Facility Unavailable |
| Bakersfield | Office $107.42 | Facility Unavailable |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office $105.74 | Facility Unavailable |
| Beaumont | Office $90.70 | Facility Unavailable |
| Brazoria | Office $97.97 | Facility Unavailable |
| Chicago | Office $100.24 | Facility Unavailable |
| Chico | Office $107.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Colorado | Office $104.59 | Facility Unavailable |
| Connecticut | Office $106.11 | Facility Unavailable |
| Dallas | Office $98.48 | Facility Unavailable |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office $115.43 | Facility Unavailable |
| Delaware | Office $97.76 | Facility Unavailable |
| Detroit | Office $96.17 | Facility Unavailable |
| East St. Louis | Office $92.33 | Facility Unavailable |
| El Centro | Office $107.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office $100.58 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | Office $97.59 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fresno | Office $107.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Galveston | Office $98.18 | Facility Unavailable |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $107.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office $110.94 | Facility Unavailable |
| Houston | Office $98.55 | Facility Unavailable |
| Idaho | Office $91.30 | Facility Unavailable |
| Indiana | Office $91.94 | Facility Unavailable |
| Iowa | Office $90.80 | Facility Unavailable |
| Kansas | Office $89.88 | Facility Unavailable |
| Kentucky | Office $88.80 | Facility Unavailable |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $115.47 | Facility Unavailable |
| Madera | Office $107.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Manhattan | Office $114.38 | Facility Unavailable |
| Merced | Office $107.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office $116.62 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office $93.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office $102.84 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office $94.54 | Facility Unavailable |
| Miami | Office $103.59 | Facility Unavailable |
| Minnesota | Office $101.01 | Facility Unavailable |
| Mississippi | Office $86.16 | Facility Unavailable |
| Modesto | Office $107.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Montana** | Office $98.87 | Facility Unavailable |
| Napa | Office $127.72 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nebraska | Office $91.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nevada** | Office $98.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Hampshire | Office $102.48 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Mexico | Office $91.52 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Orleans | Office $93.64 | Facility Unavailable |
| North Carolina | Office $92.58 | Facility Unavailable |
| North Dakota** | Office $98.47 | Facility Unavailable |
| Northern Nj | Office $113.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office $117.00 | Facility Unavailable |
| Ohio | Office $91.03 | Facility Unavailable |
| Oklahoma | Office $89.07 | Facility Unavailable |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $115.25 | Facility Unavailable |
| Portland | Office $108.83 | Facility Unavailable |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office $107.94 | Facility Unavailable |
| Puerto Rico | Office $99.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| Queens | Office $116.09 | Facility Unavailable |
| Redding | Office $107.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of California | Office $107.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Florida | Office $95.23 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office $89.26 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office $91.40 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office $88.47 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maine | Office $91.40 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office $99.97 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office $103.64 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office $91.11 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office $86.40 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office $107.55 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of New York | Office $94.16 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office $98.31 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office $91.43 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $94.20 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Washington | Office $103.59 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rhode Island | Office $101.92 | Facility Unavailable |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $107.57 | Facility Unavailable |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $113.55 | Facility Unavailable |
| Salinas | Office $113.14 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $116.48 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $136.24 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $136.22 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $139.30 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $139.21 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $111.23 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $118.11 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $113.75 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $119.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office $119.62 | Facility Unavailable |
| South Carolina | Office $91.91 | Facility Unavailable |
| South Dakota** | Office $98.42 | Facility Unavailable |
| Southern Maine | Office $97.81 | Facility Unavailable |
| Stockton | Office $107.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Suburban Chicago | Office $101.87 | Facility Unavailable |
| Tennessee | Office $90.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Utah | Office $93.39 | Facility Unavailable |
| Vallejo | Office $127.69 | Facility Unavailable |
| Vermont | Office $97.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Virgin Islands | Office $99.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| Virginia | Office $97.14 | Facility Unavailable |
| Visalia | Office $107.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| West Virginia | Office $87.34 | Facility Unavailable |
| Wisconsin | Office $94.62 | Facility Unavailable |
| Wyoming** | Office $98.69 | Facility Unavailable |
| Yuba City | Office $107.35 | Facility Unavailable |
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77078 billing questions
How does 77078 differ from 77080?
77078 is a CT-based bone-density study of the axial skeleton. 77080 reports axial bone-density measurement by DXA.
Which modifier identifies the interpretation?
Append modifier 26 for the professional interpretation. Modifier TC identifies the technical portion, including equipment and staff.
What does billing 77078 without a modifier represent?
An unmodified claim represents the global service, including both the technical and professional components.
What documentation supports reporting 77078?
The record should identify the axial site assessed, establish that the study used CT-based quantitative bone-density measurement, and include the interpreted findings.
Can 77078 be used for a peripheral bone-density site?
No. This code is for axial-skeleton assessment; 77081 is the DXA code for an appendicular-skeleton study.
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.
9,00177077,,Joint survey single view,A,,0.32,1.07,,1.07,NA,0.03,1.42,1.42,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.31,3.31,0.05
9,00277077,26,Joint survey single view,A,,0.32,0.15,,0.15,,0.02,0.49,0.49,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,00377077,TC,Joint survey single view,A,,0.00,0.92,,0.92,NA,0.01,0.93,0.93,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,3.16,3.16,0.03
9,00477078,,Ct bone density axial,A,,0.24,2.70,,2.70,NA,0.02,2.96,2.96,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,2.74,2.74,0.02
9,00577078,26,Ct bone density axial,A,,0.24,0.09,,0.09,,0.01,0.34,0.34,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,00677078,TC,Ct bone density axial,A,,0.00,2.61,,2.61,NA,0.01,2.62,2.62,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,2.65,2.65,0.01
9,00777080,,Dxa bone density axial,A,,0.20,0.96,,0.96,NA,0.02,1.18,1.18,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.23,3.23,0.05