Billing code 78483: First-pass cardiac imagingMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports multiple first-pass radionuclide cardiac studies used to assess ventricular function, wall motion, or shunting at rest and/or during stress.
Medicare pays $253.11 for 78483 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 78483 covers
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.
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 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $253.11 | Unavailable |
How the 78483 rate is calculated
Each of 78483’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 · 78483
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.43
1.43 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.06
5.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.08
0.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.5700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$219.44
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 78483
The CMS indicators that decide how 78483 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78483
First-pass cardiac imaging
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 6 | Diagnostic cardiovascular reduction applies to the technical component. |
| 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
78483 without 26 · national office
$219.44
First-pass cardiac imaging
78483-26 · Professional component
$67.14
Pays only the interpretation and report.
78483 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 78481Cardiac function imaging
- Both use first-pass imaging, but 78481 is for a single study; 78483 is for multiple studies.
- 78472Cardiac blood-pool imaging
- 78472 uses the gated equilibrium technique for a single study. Choose 78483 when multiple first-pass studies are performed.
- 78473Gated heart imaging
- 78473 describes multiple gated equilibrium studies. 78483 describes multiple studies using first-pass imaging.
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 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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