$222.74
78012 reports uptake measurement alone; 78014 describes thyroid imaging performed with uptake measurements.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
78012 Thyroid uptake Medicare reimbursement rates in Colorado
Reports measurement of thyroid radiotracer concentration, commonly during evaluation of hyperthyroidism when uptake data are needed without thyroid imaging. Compare 78012 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 78012 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
$84.58
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.
Nuclear medicine
About 78012: Thyroid radiotracer uptake measurement
Reports measurement of thyroid radiotracer concentration, commonly during evaluation of hyperthyroidism when uptake data are needed without thyroid imaging.
This nuclear medicine test measures how much administered radiotracer the thyroid concentrates, using one or more measurements rather than producing a diagnostic thyroid image. It is commonly part of an evaluation of abnormal thyroid function, such as determining whether hyperthyroidism is associated with increased or decreased gland uptake. A nuclear medicine technologist performs the tracer handling and measurement; a qualified physician interprets the results. The service is performed in a nuclear medicine department or other equipped outpatient setting.
Report 78012 when the service consists of thyroid uptake measurement, not a combined uptake-and-imaging study. Documentation should identify the tracer and record the measurement or measurements and the physician’s interpretation. When thyroid imaging is also performed with uptake measurements, 78014 describes the combined service; do not separately report 78012 for the uptake portion included in that study. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
CMS billing rules for 78012
- 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 RVU0.19 · 8%
- Practice expense (office) RVU2.17 · 90%
- Malpractice RVU0.04 · 2%
809
Medicare services in 2024 · #3138 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.
78012 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Colorado, from the same CMS release.
Compare 78012 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
$84.58
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 78012 in Colorado.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
9,179
- Code
- 78012
- Physician work
- 0.19
- Practice expense
- 2.17
- Malpractice
- 0.04
GPCI2026.csv
37
- Locality
- Colorado
- Physician work
- 1.012
- Practice expense
- 1.064
- Malpractice
- 0.781
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.19 | × 1.012 | 0.1923 |
| Practice expense | 2.17 | × 1.064 | 2.3089 |
| Malpractice | 0.04 | × 0.781 | 0.0312 |
| Total RVUs | 2.5324 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Colorado$84.58
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.19 | 1.012 |
| Practice expense | 2.17 | 1.064 |
| Malpractice | 0.04 | 0.781 |
(0.19 × 1.012 + 2.17 × 1.064 + 0.04 × 0.781) × $33.4009 = $84.58
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.
78012 billing questions
How do I choose between 78012 and 78014?
Use 78012 for uptake measurement without thyroid imaging. Use 78014 when the service includes thyroid imaging along with uptake measurements.
Can 78012 be reported with 78014 for the same study?
No. The uptake measurements are part of the combined service described by 78014, so reporting 78012 separately would duplicate that portion.
Which modifiers identify the professional and technical portions?
Modifier 26 reports the physician’s interpretation, while modifier TC reports the technical service. Reporting without either modifier represents the global service.
Does the number of uptake measurements change the code?
78012 covers a single measurement or multiple measurements. Document the measurement or measurements performed and the interpretation.
What documentation supports 78012?
The record should identify the administered tracer, document the thyroid uptake measurement or measurements, and include the interpreting physician’s findings.
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.
9,17677799,,Unlisted px clin brachytx,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
9,17777799,26,Unlisted px clin brachytx,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
9,17877799,TC,Unlisted px clin brachytx,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
9,17978012,,Thyroid uptake measurement,A,,0.19,2.17,,2.17,NA,0.04,2.40,2.40,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,18078012,26,Thyroid uptake measurement,A,,0.19,0.06,,0.06,,0.01,0.26,0.26,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,18178012,TC,Thyroid uptake measurement,A,,0.00,2.11,,2.11,NA,0.03,2.14,2.14,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,18278013,,Thyroid imaging w/blood flow,A,,0.36,4.56,,4.56,NA,0.05,4.97,4.97,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,12.27,12.27,0.10
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