CPT code 78830: Tumor SPECT/CT2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports radiopharmaceutical tumor localization using SPECT and CT for one imaging area, with payment available for the professional, technical, or global service.
Medicare pays $467.21 for 78830 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 78830 covers
This nuclear medicine study uses a radiopharmaceutical to localize tumor-related uptake in one imaging area, combining SPECT images with CT images for anatomic correlation. A nuclear medicine technologist typically performs the acquisition, and a nuclear medicine physician interprets the study. It may be used when a radiopharmaceutical-avid tumor or lesion needs localization within a defined body region.
Select this code when the examination covers one imaging area; the number of lesions alone does not determine the area count. Document the clinical indication, radiopharmaceutical, body area imaged, SPECT/CT acquisition, and interpretation. The professional component is reported with modifier 26 for the interpretation, and the technical component with modifier TC for equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the service is billed globally.
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.
78830 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $467.21 | Unavailable |
How the 78830 rate is calculated
Each of 78830’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 · 78830
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.45
1.45 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense11.03
11.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.12
0.12 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
12.6000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$420.85
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 78830
The CMS indicators that decide how 78830 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78830
Tumor SPECT/CT
| 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
78830 without 26 · national office
$420.85
Tumor SPECT/CT
78830-26 · Professional component
$65.13
Pays only the interpretation and report.
78830 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 78832Tumor SPECT/CT
- 78830 covers one imaging area with SPECT and CT; 78832 is for two areas.
- 78803Tumor SPECT
- Both cover tumor-localization SPECT for one area. Choose 78830 when CT imaging accompanies SPECT; choose 78803 for SPECT without CT.
- 78800Tumor imaging
- 78800 describes planar tumor-localization imaging of one area. 78830 uses SPECT with CT for that area.
- 78814Pet image w/ct lmtd
- 78814 is limited-area PET with CT, a different imaging modality. Use 78830 for radiopharmaceutical tumor-localization SPECT with CT.
78830 billing questions
When should 78830 be used instead of 78832?
Use 78830 for one imaging area. Code 78832 is the corresponding SPECT-with-CT option when two areas are imaged.
How does 78830 differ from 78803?
Both describe tumor-localization SPECT for one area, but 78830 includes CT imaging with SPECT; 78803 is the SPECT option without CT.
Which modifier reports only the physician interpretation?
Append modifier 26 for the professional component. Modifier TC reports the technical component, while billing without either modifier represents the global service.
Does the number of lesions determine whether one or two areas are reported?
No. Choose the code based on the imaging area count, not the number of lesions seen within the area.
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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