Billing code 76948: Oocyte aspiration guidanceMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports real-time ultrasound guidance and interpretation during needle aspiration of ovarian follicles to retrieve oocytes, commonly as part of IVF.
Medicare pays $96.26 for 76948 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 76948 covers
This service is the real-time ultrasound guidance used while a needle is advanced into ovarian follicles to aspirate oocytes, typically during transvaginal retrieval for in vitro fertilization. A reproductive endocrinologist usually performs the retrieval in a fertility center or ambulatory procedure setting. The ultrasound helps visualize the follicles and needle path; the code represents guidance and its imaging work, not the follicle puncture or laboratory handling of the aspirated fluid.
Report the guidance with documentation supporting its use during the aspiration, including retained images and an interpretation or report. The follicle puncture is separately described by 58970 when performed. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff, and reporting without either modifier represents the global service.
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.
76948 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $96.26 | Unavailable |
How the 76948 rate is calculated
Each of 76948’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 · 76948
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.65Practice expense 1.77Malpractice 0.04
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 76948
The CMS indicators that decide how 76948 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 76948
Oocyte aspiration guidance
| 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
76948 without 26 · national office
$82.17
Oocyte aspiration guidance
76948-26 · Professional component
$32.06
Pays only the interpretation and report.
76948 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
76948 vs 76942 vs 76945 vs 76946: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 76942Ultrasound needle guidance
- 76942 is ultrasound guidance for needle placement in procedures such as biopsy or aspiration. 76948 is specific to ultrasound guidance during ova aspiration.
- 76945Echo guide villus sampling
- 76945 covers ultrasound guidance for chorionic villus sampling, not ovarian follicle aspiration for oocyte retrieval.
- 76946Amniocentesis guidance
- 76946 covers ultrasound guidance for amniocentesis; use 76948 for ultrasound guidance during oocyte aspiration.
76948 billing questions
Is 76948 the same service as follicle puncture?
No. It reports ultrasound guidance during oocyte aspiration; 58970 describes the follicle puncture for oocyte retrieval.
Can 76948 be reported with 58970?
They describe distinct parts of an oocyte retrieval and may be reported together when both services are performed and documented.
When should modifier 26 or TC be used?
Use modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and modifier TC for the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
What documentation supports 76948?
Document ultrasound guidance during follicular aspiration, with saved images and an interpretation or report supporting the imaging service.
Should 76942 be used instead for oocyte retrieval?
76948 specifically describes ultrasound guidance for ova aspiration. 76942 describes guidance for other needle-placement procedures and is not a substitute for the dedicated oocyte-aspiration code.
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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