$145.53
Both use first-pass imaging, but 78481 is for a single study; 78483 is for multiple studies.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
78483 First-pass cardiac imaging Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama
Reports multiple first-pass radionuclide cardiac studies used to assess ventricular function, wall motion, or shunting at rest and/or during stress. Compare 78483 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 78483 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
$197.16
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 cardiology
About 78483: Multiple-study first-pass cardiac imaging
Reports multiple first-pass radionuclide cardiac studies used to assess ventricular function, wall motion, or shunting at rest and/or during stress.
This nuclear cardiology study uses rapid sequential imaging after a radionuclide bolus to capture its passage through the heart. It can provide information about ventricular ejection fraction and wall motion and, when evaluated, right ventricular function or an intracardiac shunt. A nuclear medicine or cardiology imaging team typically performs the acquisition in a hospital or other diagnostic imaging setting, with a qualified physician interpreting the study. Multiple studies may include rest and stress acquisitions, using exercise or pharmacologic stress when performed.
Report 78483 when the service includes multiple first-pass studies; use the single-study code 78481 when only one study is performed. Documentation should identify the number and circumstances of the acquisitions, such as rest or stress, and the findings interpreted. The global service is billed without a component modifier. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, while modifier TC identifies the technical service, including equipment and staff. The cardiovascular diagnostic multiple procedure reduction applies to the technical component.
CMS billing rules for 78483
- 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
- Cardiovascular diagnostic multiple procedure reduction applies to the technical component.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.43 · 22%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.06 · 77%
- Malpractice RVU0.08 · 1%
110
Medicare services in 2024 · #4810 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.
78483 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.
$184.67
78472 uses the gated equilibrium technique for a single study. Choose 78483 when multiple first-pass studies are performed.
$238.35
78473 describes multiple gated equilibrium studies. 78483 describes multiple studies using first-pass imaging.
Compare 78483 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
$197.16
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 78483 in Alabama.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
9,407
- Code
- 78483
- Physician work
- 1.43
- Practice expense
- 5.06
- Malpractice
- 0.08
GPCI2026.csv
4
- Locality
- Alabama
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.875
- Malpractice
- 0.566
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.43 | × 1.000 | 1.4300 |
| Practice expense | 5.06 | × 0.875 | 4.4275 |
| Malpractice | 0.08 | × 0.566 | 0.0453 |
| Total RVUs | 5.9028 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Alabama$197.16
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.43 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 5.06 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 0.08 | 0.566 |
(1.43 × 1 + 5.06 × 0.875 + 0.08 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $197.16
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.
78483 billing questions
When should 78483 be chosen instead of 78481?
Use 78483 for multiple first-pass studies and 78481 for a single first-pass study. The record should support the number of studies performed.
Can the interpretation and acquisition be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
Which part is subject to the cardiovascular diagnostic multiple procedure reduction?
The reduction applies to the technical component of 78483.
Does a rest-and-stress protocol support 78483?
It can, when multiple first-pass studies are performed. Document the acquisitions and whether stress was exercise- or pharmacologically induced.
How does 78483 differ from gated equilibrium imaging?
78483 uses first-pass imaging as the tracer moves through the heart. Codes 78472 and 78473 describe gated equilibrium studies, a different imaging technique.
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.
9,40478481,,Heart first pass single,A,,0.96,3.85,,3.85,NA,0.05,4.86,4.86,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,6,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,16.82,16.82,0.16
9,40578481,26,Heart first pass single,A,,0.96,0.35,,0.35,,0.02,1.33,1.33,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,6,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,40678481,TC,Heart first pass single,A,,0.00,3.50,,3.50,NA,0.03,3.53,3.53,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,6,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,16.47,16.47,0.14
9,40778483,,Heart first pass multiple,A,,1.43,5.06,,5.06,NA,0.08,6.57,6.57,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,6,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,17.03,17.03,0.16
9,40878483,26,Heart first pass multiple,A,,1.43,0.53,,0.53,,0.05,2.01,2.01,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,6,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,40978483,TC,Heart first pass multiple,A,,0.00,4.53,,4.53,NA,0.03,4.56,4.56,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,6,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,16.50,16.50,0.11
9,41078491,,Myocrd img pet 1std rst/strs,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,NA,0.00,0.00,0.00,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,44.27,44.27,0.07
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