Billing code 70355: Panoramic jaw x-rayMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports a panoramic x-ray survey of the upper and lower jaws, commonly used to assess dentition, jaw structures, or a broad oral concern.
Medicare pays $23.19 for 70355 in the office in Alaska (Alaska*). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 9 sections
What 70355 covers
This service produces a broad panoramic image of the upper and lower jaws in a single survey. Dental practices, oral and maxillofacial surgery offices, and imaging facilities commonly obtain it when a clinician needs an overview of the dentition and jaw structures, such as when evaluating a possible impacted tooth or a jaw abnormality. The image is interpreted by a qualified practitioner, with the technical work performed by staff using the imaging equipment.
Choose this code when the documented service is a panoramic jaw study, rather than a set of focused intraoral tooth images or a dedicated jaw-joint examination. The record should support the clinical reason for imaging and identify the study performed; the interpretation should be documented when billed separately. Report the global service without a component modifier, or report modifier 26 for the professional interpretation or TC for the technical service when billing only that portion.
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.
70355 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $23.19 | Unavailable |
How the 70355 rate is calculated
Each of 70355’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 · 70355
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.20Practice expense 0.36Malpractice 0.02
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 70355
The CMS indicators that decide how 70355 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 70355
Panoramic jaw x-ray
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 1 | Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 26 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
70355 without 26 · national office
$19.37
Panoramic jaw x-ray
70355-26 · Professional component
$10.02
Pays only the interpretation and report.
70355 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
70355 vs 70320 vs 70300 vs 70328: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 70320Dental X-ray
- 70355 is a panoramic survey of the jaws; 70320 is used for a full-mouth series of intraoral dental images.
- 70300Dental X-ray
- Choose 70355 for the broad panoramic jaw study. 70300 represents a focused dental x-ray, not the panoramic survey.
- 70328Jaw joint X-ray
- 70355 surveys the jaws broadly. 70328 is for imaging focused on a jaw joint.
70355 billing questions
When should this be reported instead of a full-mouth dental x-ray?
Use 70355 for a panoramic survey of the jaws. A full-mouth dental x-ray code applies when the service consists of an intraoral series of dental images.
How are the professional and technical portions reported?
Report modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and TC for the technical service. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
Can the interpretation be billed separately from the image acquisition?
Yes. The professional component may be reported with modifier 26 when the interpretation is separately furnished and documented; the technical component is reported with TC.
Is this the right code for a focused jaw-joint x-ray?
No. 70355 describes a panoramic survey of the jaws. A dedicated jaw-joint examination is represented by a joint-specific imaging code, such as 70328.
What documentation supports reporting this study?
Document the clinical reason for the panoramic study and the imaging performed. Include the interpretation when billing the professional component.
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
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