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Billing code 78725: Kidney function studyMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports a quantitative kidney-function study, such as renal clearance measurement, when the clinical question requires a measured functional result.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities183 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $99.53 for 78725 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $86.55–$137.61.

Medicare rate · 78725

Kidney function study

Work RVUs
0.37
Total RVUs
2.98
Global days
XXX

National rate · 2026

$99.53

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 78725 →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.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 78725 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 78725 covers

This service quantifies kidney function, commonly by measuring renal clearance rather than primarily depicting kidney anatomy or perfusion. A protocol may involve tracer administration and timed blood or urine measurements; the clearance calculation provides a functional result such as filtration. Nuclear medicine or radiology teams perform and interpret the study when the clinical question calls for a quantitative renal-function result rather than a visual renal scan.

Report 78725 when the documented procedure is a quantitative kidney-function or clearance study. The record should identify the indication, method, measurements, and physician interpretation of the calculated result. CMS recognizes professional and technical portions: report modifier 26 for the physician’s interpretation, modifier TC for equipment and staff, or no component modifier for the global service. The interpretation should support the professional portion, and the technical record should support performance of the protocol and measurements.

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 78725 pays more and less

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

109 payment localities

$86.55 to $137.61

$86.55$112.08$137.61
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

78725 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$88.02Unavailable
Alaska*$110.35Unavailable
Arizona$96.61Unavailable
Arkansas$86.55Unavailable
Atlanta$101.34Unavailable
Austin$104.27Unavailable
Bakersfield$107.16Unavailable
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$106.42Unavailable
Beaumont$91.73Unavailable
Brazoria$98.43Unavailable

78725 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.

$86.55

$122.30

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
78725 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$110.351
AL$88.021
AR$86.551
AZ$96.611
CA$106.99–$137.6129
CO$104.701
CT$106.761
DC$115.591
DE$98.371
FL$96.80–$106.093
GA$90.72–$101.342
GU$110.361
HI$110.361
IA$91.091
ID$91.661
IL$93.25–$103.474
IN$92.291
KS$90.361
KY$89.911
LA$89.66–$94.782
MA$103.84–$116.342
MD$100.52–$115.593
ME$91.96–$98.032
MI$92.38–$97.932
MN$100.591
MO$87.73–$95.453
MS$87.171
MT$99.531
NC$93.101
ND$98.341
NE$91.731
NH$102.781
NJ$108.06–$114.082
NM$92.871
NV$99.291
NY$94.68–$118.145
OH$92.141
OK$89.971
OR$98.60–$108.672
PA$92.44–$103.642
PR$100.441
RI$102.361
SC$92.761
SD$98.201
TN$90.861
TX$91.73–$104.278
UT$94.221
VA$97.50–$115.592
VI$100.441
VT$97.691
WA$103.73–$119.122
WI$94.571
WV$89.241
WY$99.011

How the 78725 rate is calculated

Each of 78725’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 · 78725

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Work0.37

0.37 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense2.55

2.55 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.06

0.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

2.9800

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$99.53

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 78725

The CMS indicators that decide how 78725 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 78725

Kidney function study

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodXXXThe global surgery concept doesn’t apply.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical1Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 26 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

78725 without 26 · national office

$99.53

Kidney function study

78725-26 · Professional component

$17.03

Pays only the interpretation and report.

When to use modifier 26

78725 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

  • 78725

    Kidney function study0.37 wRVU

    $99.53

  • 78707

    Renal imaging0.94 wRVU

    $209.42+$109.89

  • 78708

    Renal imaging1.18 wRVU

    $172.35+$72.82

  • 78700

    Kidney imaging0.44 wRVU

    $153.31+$53.78

How to choose

78707Renal imaging
Use 78707 for renal flow and function imaging without pharmacologic intervention. Use 78725 when the service quantifies kidney function through a clearance study.
78708Renal imaging
78708 describes renal flow and function imaging with pharmacologic intervention; 78725 describes quantitative kidney-function or clearance measurement.
78700Kidney imaging
78700 is for imaging kidney morphology. Choose 78725 for a quantitative functional measurement such as renal clearance.

Codes related to 78725

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

Codes related to 78725
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
78707Renal imagingFor renal flow and function imaging without pharmacologic intervention, rather than quantitative clearance.$183.29–$288.84
78708Renal imagingFor renal flow and function imaging with pharmacologic intervention.$152.34–$232.11
78709Renal imagingFor multiple renal flow and function imaging studies.$285.27–$451.44
78700Kidney imagingFor renal imaging focused on morphology rather than quantitative clearance.$133.08–$214.38
78701Kidney imagingFor renal morphology imaging with vascular flow.$175.90–$285.40

78725 billing questions

How is 78725 different from renal flow and function imaging?

78725 is for a quantitative kidney-function or clearance study. Codes 78707–78709 describe renal flow and function imaging, with the applicable code depending on the study performed.

When should modifier 26 or TC be used?

Use modifier 26 for the physician’s interpretation and modifier TC for the technical service, including equipment and staff. Submit the global service without either component modifier when billing both portions together.

What documentation supports 78725?

Document the clinical indication, clearance method and measurements, and the resulting physician interpretation. The technical record should show that the study protocol and measurements were performed.

Can 78725 be reported with renal imaging on the same date?

Choose the code for the service actually performed: quantitative clearance for 78725, or the applicable renal imaging code for an imaging study. Documentation should establish the services performed rather than relying only on the shared renal-function indication.

Does 78725 describe an anatomic kidney scan?

No. It describes quantitative assessment of kidney function, such as renal clearance; codes 78700 and 78701 describe renal imaging services.

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

Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
RVUs for 78725PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 9,497 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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