$96.37
42550 reports contrast injection into the salivary duct; 70390 reports radiologic supervision and interpretation of the sialogram.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
42550 Sialography injection Medicare reimbursement rates in Arkansas
Reports contrast injection into a salivary duct to outline the gland’s ductal system during a diagnostic sialography examination. Compare 42550 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Arkansas.
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 42550 in Arkansas?
Arkansas 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
$130.61
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Arkansas
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
$49.13
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Arkansas
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Salivary gland imaging
About 42550: Salivary duct contrast injection
Reports contrast injection into a salivary duct to outline the gland’s ductal system during a diagnostic sialography examination.
An otolaryngologist, oral and maxillofacial surgeon, or radiologist may cannulate a salivary duct opening and inject contrast to outline the ductal system. The study can help evaluate recurrent gland swelling or suspected duct obstruction, including a possible salivary stone. The injection is performed as part of a diagnostic sialography examination, commonly in a facility imaging setting.
Report 42550 for the injection work, supported by documentation identifying the gland or duct accessed and the contrast injection performed. The radiologic supervision and interpretation may be reported with 70390 when performed and separately reportable. This is a 0-day global procedure, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and the others at 50%. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting are not permitted for this code.
CMS billing rules for 42550
- Global period
- Minor procedure with a 0-day global period: same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included.
- Multiple procedures
- Standard multiple procedure reduction: the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and others at 50% when performed in the same session.
- Bilateral procedures
- Bilateral adjustment does not apply; the descriptor or anatomy makes modifier 50 inappropriate.
- Assistant at surgery
- Statutory restriction: assistant at surgery is not paid.
- Co-surgeons
- Co-surgeons not permitted.
- Team surgery
- Team surgery not permitted.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.22 · 28%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.06 · 70%
- Malpractice RVU0.12 · 3%
20
Medicare services in 2024 · #5917 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.
42550 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Arkansas, from the same CMS release.
Compare 42550 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
Arkansas →
Office / nonfacility
$130.61
Facility
$49.13
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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 42550 in Arkansas.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
5,048
- Code
- 42550
- Physician work
- 1.22
- Practice expense
- 3.06
- Malpractice
- 0.12
GPCI2026.csv
7
- Locality
- Arkansas
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.859
- Malpractice
- 0.515
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.22 | × 1.000 | 1.2200 |
| Practice expense | 3.06 | × 0.859 | 2.6285 |
| Malpractice | 0.12 | × 0.515 | 0.0618 |
| Total RVUs | 3.9103 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Arkansas$130.61
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.22 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 3.06 | 0.859 |
| Malpractice | 0.12 | 0.515 |
(1.22 × 1 + 3.06 × 0.859 + 0.12 × 0.515) × $33.4009 = $130.61
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.22 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 0.22 | 0.859 |
| Malpractice | 0.12 | 0.515 |
(1.22 × 1 + 0.22 × 0.859 + 0.12 × 0.515) × $33.4009 = $49.13
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.
42550 billing questions
How does 42550 differ from 70390?
42550 represents the salivary duct contrast injection. Code 70390 represents radiologic supervision and interpretation for sialography when that service is performed and separately reportable.
What documentation supports 42550?
Document the clinical reason for the study, the salivary gland or duct accessed, and the contrast injection performed. The record should also support the associated sialography service when it is reported.
Should modifier 50 be used for bilateral imaging?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inappropriate for 42550, so do not use modifier 50 for bilateral reporting.
How does the 0-day global period affect same-day care?
Same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included in the procedure. The 0-day global period does not include care on later dates.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for 42550. Co-surgeon and team-surgery reporting are not permitted.
How is 42550 affected by other procedures in the same session?
Under the standard multiple procedure reduction, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are paid at 50% when performed in the same session.
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.
5,04542509,,Parotid duct diversion,A,,11.47,8.38,NA,8.38,,1.67,21.52,21.52,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,0464250F,,Wrmng 4 surg normothermia,I,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,04742510,,Parotid duct diversion,A,,8.14,6.75,NA,6.75,,1.20,16.09,16.09,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,2,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,04842550,,Injection for salivary x-ray,A,,1.22,3.06,,0.22,,0.12,4.40,1.56,0,000,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,0,1,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,0494255F,,Anesth 60 min/> as docd,M,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,0504256F,,Anesthe <60 min as docd,I,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,9,9,9,9,9,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
5,05142600,,Closure of salivary fistula,A,,4.82,10.63,,4.04,,0.70,16.15,9.56,0,090,0.09,0.81,0.10,2,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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
901112,CA,55,CHICO,1.017,1.096,0.536
1001182,CA,71,EL CENTRO,1.017,1.096,0.541