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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01

70486 Maxillofacial CT Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama

CT imaging of the facial bones and related structures without contrast, commonly reported to evaluate paranasal sinus disease or facial trauma. Compare 70486 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alabama.

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 70486 in Alabama?

Alabama has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.

Office / nonfacility

$115.07

1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.

Payment area: Alabama

One mapped payment locality.

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.

Find 70486 in your payment locality →

Diagnostic imaging

About 70486: Maxillofacial CT without contrast

CT imaging of the facial bones and related structures without contrast, commonly reported to evaluate paranasal sinus disease or facial trauma.

This service uses computed tomography to image the facial bones and related structures without contrast material. Common indications include evaluation of the paranasal sinuses and assessment of facial injury. A radiology technologist typically acquires the images in an imaging department or other equipped setting; a radiologist or other qualified physician interprets them and prepares a report.

Select this code when the documented examination covers the maxillofacial region and is performed without contrast. The order and report should support the clinical indication, anatomic coverage, and contrast protocol. The global service includes both image acquisition and interpretation when billed without a component modifier. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, while modifier TC identifies the technical service. When multiple diagnostic imaging procedures are reported, the CMS multiple procedure reduction applies to both the technical and professional components.

CMS billing rules for 70486

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.
Multiple procedures
Diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to the technical and professional components.

Where the value comes from

  • Work RVU0.83 · 22%
  • Practice expense (office) RVU2.95 · 77%
  • Malpractice RVU0.06 · 2%

527.3K

Medicare services in 2024 · #225 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.

70486 compared with similar codes

Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.

70487

Facial CT

Contrast-enhanced only

$136.35

Both examine the maxillofacial region, but 70487 is for imaging with contrast; 70486 is for imaging without contrast.

70488

Maxillofacial CT

Without and with contrast

$165.28

70488 represents a maxillofacial examination performed both without and with contrast. Use 70486 for an examination performed only without contrast.

70480

Targeted CT

Without contrast

$142.82

70480 is a noncontrast CT focused on the orbit, ear, or related region. Choose 70486 when the documented examination is of the maxillofacial region.

70450

Head CT

Without contrast

$96.08

70450 covers noncontrast CT of the head or brain. Use 70486 when the imaged anatomy is maxillofacial rather than the head or brain.

Compare 70486 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.

1 of 1 payment localities

Office and facility base rates · shared scale starting at $0

  • Alabama →

    Office / nonfacility

    $115.07

    Facility

    Unavailable

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How this local rate is calculated

Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 70486 in Alabama.

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

7,805

Code
70486
Physician work
0.83
Practice expense
2.95
Malpractice
0.06

GPCI2026.csv

4

Locality
Alabama
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
0.875
Malpractice
0.566
Office / nonfacility calculation for 70486 in Alabama
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work0.83× 1.0000.8300
Practice expense2.95× 0.8752.5813
Malpractice0.06× 0.5660.0340
Total RVUs3.4452
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Office / nonfacility rate, Alabama$115.07

Values as parsed from CMS release RVU26D, effective 2026-10-01. The amount is rounded to the nearest cent only at the end.
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula

Office / nonfacility

Office / nonfacility calculation inputs
ComponentRVULocal GPCI
Work0.831
Practice expense2.950.875
Malpractice0.060.566

(0.83 × 1 + 2.95 × 0.875 + 0.06 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $115.07

The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.

70486 billing questions

How does this differ from 70487?

70486 describes maxillofacial CT without contrast. Use 70487 when the maxillofacial examination is performed with contrast.

When is 70488 appropriate instead?

70488 is for a maxillofacial CT performed both without and with contrast. This code is for an examination without contrast.

What do modifiers 26 and TC identify?

Modifier 26 reports the physician’s professional interpretation, and modifier TC reports the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.

Does the multiple imaging reduction affect both components?

Yes. CMS applies the diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction to both the technical and professional components.

What documentation supports reporting this code?

The record should support the clinical reason for imaging, the maxillofacial anatomy examined, and that the study was performed without contrast. The imaging report should document the findings and interpretation.

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.

RVUs for 70486PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,805 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for AlabamaGPCI2026.csv, line 4 (RVU26D)
Open CMS sourceHow this rate is calculatedBuild a fee sheet