$222.69
Both involve whole-body thyroid carcinoma metastasis imaging. Choose 78018 when the examination includes additional imaging beyond the whole-body acquisition.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
78018 Thyroid metastasis scan Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama
Reports whole-body nuclear imaging with additional views to evaluate iodine-avid metastatic thyroid carcinoma, such as during staging or follow-up after thyroid cancer treatment. Compare 78018 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 78018 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
$243.69
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.
Nuclear medicine
About 78018: Whole-body thyroid metastasis imaging with additional views
Reports whole-body nuclear imaging with additional views to evaluate iodine-avid metastatic thyroid carcinoma, such as during staging or follow-up after thyroid cancer treatment.
This nuclear medicine study evaluates possible metastatic thyroid carcinoma throughout the body and includes imaging beyond the whole-body acquisition. It is commonly performed in nuclear medicine departments for patients with differentiated thyroid cancer, including after thyroidectomy when a clinician is assessing for iodine-avid disease. A nuclear medicine technologist acquires the images, and a qualified physician interprets them.
Report 78018 when the documented examination includes whole-body imaging and additional imaging; use the documented extent and acquisitions to distinguish it from limited-area or whole-body-only studies. The record should support the thyroid cancer indication, the imaging performed, and the physician’s interpretation. Medicare recognizes professional and technical components: report modifier 26 for the interpretation, modifier TC for equipment and staff, or no component modifier for the global service.
CMS billing rules for 78018
- 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 RVU0.84 · 10%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.32 · 89%
- Malpractice RVU0.09 · 1%
4K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1998 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.
78018 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.
$180.46
78015 is for metastasis imaging limited to an area; 78018 is the whole-body option with additional imaging.
$71.32
78020 is the uptake-focused metastasis service. 78018 reports imaging throughout the body with additional imaging.
$185.74
78014 is thyroid imaging with uptake for evaluating the thyroid; 78018 evaluates thyroid carcinoma metastases with whole-body imaging.
Compare 78018 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
Alabama →
Office / nonfacility
$243.69
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 78018 in Alabama.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
9,194
- Code
- 78018
- Physician work
- 0.84
- Practice expense
- 7.32
- Malpractice
- 0.09
GPCI2026.csv
4
- Locality
- Alabama
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.875
- Malpractice
- 0.566
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.84 | × 1.000 | 0.8400 |
| Practice expense | 7.32 | × 0.875 | 6.4050 |
| Malpractice | 0.09 | × 0.566 | 0.0509 |
| Total RVUs | 7.2959 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Alabama$243.69
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.84 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 7.32 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 0.09 | 0.566 |
(0.84 × 1 + 7.32 × 0.875 + 0.09 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $243.69
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.
78018 billing questions
How does 78018 differ from 78016?
78018 describes whole-body imaging with additional imaging. 78016 is the whole-body metastasis imaging option without that additional imaging distinction.
When should 78015 be used instead?
Use 78015 for thyroid carcinoma metastasis imaging limited to an area rather than a whole-body examination.
Can the professional and technical portions be billed separately?
Yes. Report modifier 26 for the physician’s interpretation or modifier TC for the technical service; without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
What documentation supports 78018?
Document the thyroid carcinoma indication, the whole-body acquisition, the additional imaging performed, and the interpreting physician’s findings.
Is 78018 the right code for uptake measurement alone?
No. 78018 reports metastasis imaging with whole-body and additional imaging; 78020 is the related uptake-only option.
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.
9,19178016,,Thyroid met imaging/studies,A,,0.80,6.66,,6.66,NA,0.07,7.53,7.53,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,12.27,12.27,0.12
9,19278016,26,Thyroid met imaging/studies,A,,0.80,0.15,,0.15,,0.01,0.96,0.96,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,19378016,TC,Thyroid met imaging/studies,A,,0.00,6.51,,6.51,NA,0.06,6.57,6.57,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,12.12,12.12,0.11
9,19478018,,Thyroid met imaging body,A,,0.84,7.32,,7.32,NA,0.09,8.25,8.25,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,16.75,16.75,0.16
9,19578018,26,Thyroid met imaging body,A,,0.84,0.26,,0.26,,0.04,1.14,1.14,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,19678018,TC,Thyroid met imaging body,A,,0.00,7.06,,7.06,NA,0.05,7.11,7.11,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,16.49,16.49,0.12
9,19778020,,Thyroid met uptake,A,,0.59,1.74,,1.74,NA,0.04,2.37,2.37,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
1ADDENDUM E. FINAL CY 2026 GEOGRAPHIC PRACTICE COST INDICES (GPCIs) BY STATE AND MEDICARE LOCALITY,,,,,,
2,,,,,,
3Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC),State,Locality Number,Locality Name,2026 PW GPCI (with 1.0 Floor)***,2026 PE GPCI,2026 MP GPCI
410112,AL,00,ALABAMA,1.000,0.875,0.566
502102,AK,01,ALASKA*,1.500,1.065,0.551
603102,AZ,00,ARIZONA,1.000,0.969,0.856
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515