$184.38
70450 is for head imaging without contrast. When both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced head images are acquired in one session, report 70470 rather than 70450 plus 70460.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
70450 Head CT Medicare reimbursement rates in Connecticut
Noncontrast computed tomography of the head and brain, reported when a quick scan is needed to evaluate hemorrhage, stroke, trauma, or acute neurologic change. Compare 70450 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Connecticut.
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 70450 in Connecticut?
Connecticut 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
$113.44
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Connecticut
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.
Radiology
About 70450: CT head or brain without contrast
Noncontrast computed tomography of the head and brain, reported when a quick scan is needed to evaluate hemorrhage, stroke, trauma, or acute neurologic change.
This study images the skull, brain, and intracranial spaces with CT and no contrast material. A radiologic technologist acquires images, typically viewed in brain and bone windows, and a radiologist interprets them. Often performed in emergency departments, it helps evaluate suspected stroke before thrombolysis, head injury after a fall, sudden severe headache, altered mental status, seizures, or known intracranial bleeding.
Select 70450 when only noncontrast head images are obtained. Use 70460 for contrast-enhanced images only, or 70470 when head images are obtained both before and after contrast in the same session. The report should document the indication, technique, and findings, such as hemorrhage, mass effect, midline shift, or fracture. Modifier 26 identifies the radiologist's interpretation; modifier TC identifies the scanner, staff, and other technical work. Billing without either modifier represents the global service. CMS applies the diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction to eligible technical and professional components when multiple imaging studies are furnished, such as head and cervical spine CT after trauma.
CMS billing rules for 70450
- 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.
- Multiple procedures
- Diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to the technical and professional components.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.83 · 26%
- Practice expense (office) RVU2.30 · 72%
- Malpractice RVU0.06 · 2%
4.9M
Medicare services in 2024 · #44 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.
70450 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Connecticut, from the same CMS release.
70496
No office rateCt angiography head
70496 is CT angiography of intracranial vessels with contrast and postprocessing; 70450 evaluates the head and brain without contrast. Both may be reported when 70450 represents a separate, complete, medically necessary diagnostic study.
$168.53
70480 is a targeted noncontrast CT study of the orbits, sella, posterior fossa, or ears. 70450 is a general head and brain study used to evaluate concerns such as hemorrhage or head trauma.
$208.14
70551 is noncontrast MRI of the brain, not CT. It may be selected for detailed brain tissue evaluation, while 70450 is often used for rapid acute assessment and bleeding detection.
Compare 70450 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
Connecticut →
Office / nonfacility
$113.44
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 70450 in Connecticut.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
7,778
- Code
- 70450
- Physician work
- 0.83
- Practice expense
- 2.30
- Malpractice
- 0.06
GPCI2026.csv
38
- Locality
- Connecticut
- Physician work
- 1.020
- Practice expense
- 1.077
- Malpractice
- 1.210
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.83 | × 1.020 | 0.8466 |
| Practice expense | 2.30 | × 1.077 | 2.4771 |
| Malpractice | 0.06 | × 1.210 | 0.0726 |
| Total RVUs | 3.3963 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Connecticut$113.44
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.83 | 1.02 |
| Practice expense | 2.3 | 1.077 |
| Malpractice | 0.06 | 1.21 |
(0.83 × 1.02 + 2.3 × 1.077 + 0.06 × 1.21) × $33.4009 = $113.44
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.
70450 billing questions
Can 70450 and 70460 be billed together for the same session?
No. When noncontrast images are followed by contrast-enhanced head images in the same session, report 70470 instead of the two separate codes.
Which modifier does a hospital radiologist use?
A radiologist interpreting a scan performed on hospital equipment reports modifier 26 for the interpretation; the hospital bills for the technical service. An imaging center furnishing both the scan and interpretation may bill the global service without a component modifier.
In a stroke alert, can a noncontrast head CT be billed with CTA of the head and neck?
A separately performed, complete, medically necessary diagnostic head CT with its own interpretation may be reported with 70496 and 70498. Do not report 70450 for preliminary noncontrast images included in the CTA head acquisition.
Does the multiple procedure reduction affect trauma scans like head and cervical spine CT?
It can when both scans are eligible under the diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction. CMS ranks the technical and professional components separately and reduces the lower-ranked eligible components.
Should 70450 be used for a scan focused on the sinuses, orbits, or temporal bones?
No. For noncontrast studies, 70480 describes dedicated CT of the orbits, sella, posterior fossa, or ears; 70486 describes maxillofacial CT, including the sinuses. Use 70450 for a general head and brain study.
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.
7,77570390,,X-ray exam of salivary duct,A,,0.37,2.91,,2.91,NA,0.03,3.31,3.31,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,7.40,7.40,0.05
7,77670390,26,X-ray exam of salivary duct,A,,0.37,0.13,,0.13,,0.02,0.52,0.52,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,77770390,TC,X-ray exam of salivary duct,A,,0.00,2.78,,2.78,NA,0.01,2.79,2.79,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,03,0,99,7.27,7.27,0.03
7,77870450,,Ct head/brain w/o dye,A,,0.83,2.30,,2.30,NA,0.06,3.19,3.19,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,3.48,3.48,0.07
7,77970450,26,Ct head/brain w/o dye,A,,0.83,0.30,,0.30,,0.05,1.18,1.18,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,78070450,TC,Ct head/brain w/o dye,A,,0.00,2.00,,2.00,NA,0.01,2.01,2.01,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,88,3.18,3.18,0.02
7,78170460,,Ct head/brain w/dye,A,,1.10,3.25,,3.25,NA,0.09,4.44,4.44,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,5.72,5.72,0.11
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
4109102,FL,03,FORT LAUDERDALE,1.000,1.013,1.808