$114.17
76536 is an ultrasound examination of head and neck soft tissues. Use 76506 for real-time imaging of intracranial structures.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
76506 Cranial ultrasound Medicare reimbursement rates in Colorado
Reports real-time ultrasound imaging of the brain, commonly through an infant's open fontanelle to assess ventricles and detect intracranial abnormalities. Compare 76506 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Colorado.
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 76506 in Colorado?
Colorado 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
$114.32
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Colorado
One mapped payment locality.
Facility setting
No supported rate
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.
Diagnostic ultrasound
About 76506: Real-time cranial ultrasound examination
Reports real-time ultrasound imaging of the brain, commonly through an infant's open fontanelle to assess ventricles and detect intracranial abnormalities.
This examination uses real-time ultrasound to image intracranial structures, typically through an infant’s open fontanelle. It can help assess ventricular size and evaluate for findings such as hydrocephalus or intracranial hemorrhage. A sonographer may acquire the images, with a physician—often a radiologist—providing the interpretation. The service is commonly performed in hospital settings for newborns and young infants when cranial imaging is clinically indicated.
Report 76506 for the cranial ultrasound examination with image documentation, rather than an ultrasound of the head’s soft tissues or the eyes. The record should support the clinical reason for imaging and include the saved images and interpretation. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: report modifier 26 for the interpretation, modifier TC for the equipment and staff, or neither modifier for the global service. The code’s listed components are separately priced by CMS.
CMS billing rules for 76506
- Professional and technical components
- Diagnostic test with a professional component (modifier 26, interpretation) and a technical component (modifier TC, equipment and staff); billing without a modifier is the global service.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.61 · 19%
- Practice expense (office) RVU2.60 · 80%
- Malpractice RVU0.05 · 2%
352
Medicare services in 2024 · #3856 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.
76506 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Colorado, from the same CMS release.
$49.95
76516 describes an ultrasound examination of the eye. It is not the code for imaging the brain through an infant’s fontanelle.
Compare 76506 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
Colorado →
Office / nonfacility
$114.32
Facility
Unavailable
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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 76506 in Colorado.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
8,703
- Code
- 76506
- Physician work
- 0.61
- Practice expense
- 2.60
- Malpractice
- 0.05
GPCI2026.csv
37
- Locality
- Colorado
- Physician work
- 1.012
- Practice expense
- 1.064
- Malpractice
- 0.781
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.61 | × 1.012 | 0.6173 |
| Practice expense | 2.60 | × 1.064 | 2.7664 |
| Malpractice | 0.05 | × 0.781 | 0.0391 |
| Total RVUs | 3.4228 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Colorado$114.32
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.61 | 1.012 |
| Practice expense | 2.6 | 1.064 |
| Malpractice | 0.05 | 0.781 |
(0.61 × 1.012 + 2.6 × 1.064 + 0.05 × 0.781) × $33.4009 = $114.32
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.
76506 billing questions
When should 76506 be used instead of 76536?
Use 76506 for real-time imaging of intracranial structures, commonly through an infant’s fontanelle. Code 76536 describes an ultrasound examination of head and neck soft tissues, not a cranial brain study.
What do modifiers 26 and TC represent?
Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, while TC identifies the technical service, including equipment and staff. Report the global service without either modifier when billing both components together.
What documentation supports 76506?
Document the clinical reason for the cranial study, the examination performed, image documentation, and the interpretation. The record should make clear that the ultrasound evaluated intracranial structures.
Does 76506 describe an eye ultrasound?
No. It describes cranial imaging; eye echography codes such as 76516 address ocular structures.
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.
8,70076499,,Unlisted dx radiographic px,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,NA,0.00,0.00,0.00,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,70176499,26,Unlisted dx radiographic px,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,70276499,TC,Unlisted dx radiographic px,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,NA,0.00,0.00,0.00,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,70376506,,Echo exam of head,A,,0.61,2.60,,2.60,NA,0.05,3.26,3.26,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.41,3.41,0.05
8,70476506,26,Echo exam of head,A,,0.61,0.23,,0.23,,0.04,0.88,0.88,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,70576506,TC,Echo exam of head,A,,0.00,2.37,,2.37,NA,0.01,2.38,2.38,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,3.18,3.18,0.01
8,70676510,,Oph us dx b-scan&quan a-scan,A,,0.68,1.36,,1.36,NA,0.02,2.06,2.06,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,7,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,4.48,4.48,0.06
3401112,CA,69,VISALIA,1.017,1.096,0.536
3501112,CA,70,YUBA CITY,1.017,1.096,0.536
3601112,CA,75,REST OF CALIFORNIA,1.017,1.096,0.536
3704112,CO,01,COLORADO,1.012,1.064,0.781
3813102,CT,00,CONNECTICUT,1.020,1.077,1.210
3912202,DC,01,DC + MD/VA SUBURBS,1.054,1.178,1.113
4012102,DE,01,DELAWARE,1.005,0.988,0.899