$155.27
71271 is low-dose, noncontrast imaging for lung cancer screening. 71250 is a diagnostic chest CT without contrast.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
71271 Lung screening CT Medicare reimbursement rates in Alaska
Low-dose CT of the chest screens eligible asymptomatic patients for lung cancer and is reported when the study is performed under a screening indication. Compare 71271 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alaska.
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 71271 in Alaska?
Alaska 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
$159.02
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alaska*
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.
Diagnostic imaging
About 71271: Low-dose lung cancer screening CT
Low-dose CT of the chest screens eligible asymptomatic patients for lung cancer and is reported when the study is performed under a screening indication.
Code 71271 represents a low-dose, noncontrast CT acquisition of the chest performed to screen for lung cancer, rather than to investigate symptoms or a known abnormality. A CT technologist typically performs the scan in an outpatient imaging department or imaging center, and a radiologist reviews the images for pulmonary nodules and other suspicious findings. The service is used for screening in eligible patients without lung cancer symptoms; a nodule already under diagnostic evaluation or a new respiratory complaint calls for diagnostic imaging selection instead.
Report 71271 for the screening study and retain documentation identifying its screening purpose and low-dose, noncontrast protocol; the radiology report supports the interpretation. A radiology group may bill the professional interpretation with modifier 26, the imaging facility may bill the equipment and staff with modifier TC, and a supplier furnishing the complete service bills globally without either modifier. CMS applies the diagnostic-imaging multiple-procedure reduction to both the technical and professional components when applicable.
CMS billing rules for 71271
- 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 RVU1.05 · 26%
- Practice expense (office) RVU2.95 · 72%
- Malpractice RVU0.08 · 2%
475K
Medicare services in 2024 · #235 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.
71271 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alaska, from the same CMS release.
$192.38
71260 is a diagnostic chest CT performed with contrast; 71271 is a low-dose, noncontrast screening study.
$224.63
71270 is diagnostic chest imaging performed without and with contrast. 71271 is used for lung cancer screening without contrast.
71275
No office rateCt angiography chest
71275 is chest CT angiography for vascular imaging. 71271 is a low-dose chest CT performed to screen for lung cancer.
Compare 71271 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
Alaska* →
Office / nonfacility
$159.02
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 71271 in Alaska*.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
7,919
- Code
- 71271
- Physician work
- 1.05
- Practice expense
- 2.95
- Malpractice
- 0.08
GPCI2026.csv
5
- Locality
- Alaska*
- Physician work
- 1.500
- Practice expense
- 1.065
- Malpractice
- 0.551
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.05 | × 1.500 | 1.5750 |
| Practice expense | 2.95 | × 1.065 | 3.1418 |
| Malpractice | 0.08 | × 0.551 | 0.0441 |
| Total RVUs | 4.7608 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Alaska*$159.02
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.05 | 1.5 |
| Practice expense | 2.95 | 1.065 |
| Malpractice | 0.08 | 0.551 |
(1.05 × 1.5 + 2.95 × 1.065 + 0.08 × 0.551) × $33.4009 = $159.02
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.
71271 billing questions
When should 71271 be chosen over a diagnostic chest CT?
Use 71271 when the study is performed as low-dose lung cancer screening. A scan to evaluate symptoms, a known nodule, or another abnormal finding is diagnostic rather than screening.
How are the interpretation and scan acquisition billed?
Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service, including equipment and staff. A supplier billing the complete service reports 71271 without either modifier.
Does the multiple-procedure reduction affect both components?
Yes. CMS applies the diagnostic-imaging multiple-procedure reduction to both the technical and professional components when applicable.
What documentation supports reporting 71271?
Document the screening indication and the low-dose, noncontrast chest CT protocol. The radiology report should support the interpretation billed.
Can 71271 be used to follow a previously identified lung nodule?
A study ordered to evaluate or monitor a known nodule is diagnostic imaging, not a screening examination. Select the diagnostic chest CT code that matches the study performed.
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.
7,91671270,,Ct thorax dx c-/c+,A,,1.22,4.55,,4.55,NA,0.09,5.86,5.86,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,5.77,5.77,0.10
7,91771270,26,Ct thorax dx c-/c+,A,,1.22,0.43,,0.43,,0.07,1.72,1.72,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,91871270,TC,Ct thorax dx c-/c+,A,,0.00,4.12,,4.12,NA,0.02,4.14,4.14,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,5.34,5.34,0.03
7,91971271,,Ct thorax lung cancer scr c-,A,,1.05,2.95,,2.95,NA,0.08,4.08,4.08,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,92071271,26,Ct thorax lung cancer scr c-,A,,1.05,0.37,,0.37,,0.06,1.48,1.48,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,92171271,TC,Ct thorax lung cancer scr c-,A,,0.00,2.58,,2.58,NA,0.02,2.60,2.60,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,92271275,,Ct angiography chest,A,,1.77,6.49,,6.49,NA,0.14,8.40,8.40,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,5.96,5.96,0.14
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
801112,CA,54,BAKERSFIELD,1.019,1.096,0.609