Billing code 78600: Brain imagingMedicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Report limited-view nuclear brain imaging when a radiopharmaceutical study depicts the brain in fewer than four views without a separately acquired flow sequence.
Medicare pays $182.72 for 78600 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 78600 covers
This service captures nuclear medicine images of the brain after administration of a radiopharmaceutical, using fewer than four views. It may be ordered to assess intracranial tracer distribution, including in the evaluation of a suspected brain lesion. Nuclear medicine technologists perform the acquisition; a qualified physician, commonly a nuclear medicine radiologist, interprets the study. The code distinguishes limited-view brain imaging from studies that include flow imaging or use four or more views.
Select the code from the documented acquisition: fewer than four views, with no flow sequence included in this service. The record should support the brain study performed, the views acquired, and the interpreting physician’s findings. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies equipment and staff, and reporting without either modifier represents the global service. The professional and technical components are separately priced in the fee schedule.
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.
78600 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $182.72 | Unavailable |
How the 78600 rate is calculated
Each of 78600’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 · 78600
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.43Practice expense 4.50Malpractice 0.06
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 78600
The CMS indicators that decide how 78600 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78600
Brain imaging
| 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
78600 without 26 · national office
$166.67
Brain imaging
78600-26 · Professional component
$20.04
Pays only the interpretation and report.
78600 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
78600 vs 78601 vs 78605 vs 78610: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 78601Brain imaging
- Both describe fewer than four views, but 78601 includes flow imaging; 78600 is the limited-view study without flow.
- 78605Brain imaging
- Both describe brain imaging without flow. Choose 78605 when four or more views are acquired; 78600 is for fewer than four.
- 78610Brain flow scan
- 78610 describes brain flow imaging only. 78600 represents limited-view brain imaging without a flow sequence.
78600 billing questions
How does this differ from 78601?
78600 describes limited-view brain imaging without flow imaging. Use 78601 when the study includes a flow sequence and fewer than four views.
When should 78605 be considered instead?
78605 is the related brain imaging service for four or more views without flow imaging. Base the choice on the views actually acquired and documented.
Can the professional and technical portions be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the brain imaging performed, the number of views acquired, and the physician’s interpretation. The record should also make clear whether a flow sequence was part of the study.
Is this the code for a brain flow study alone?
No. 78600 represents limited-view brain imaging without a flow sequence; 78610 describes brain flow imaging only.
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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