$35.70
71100 is for unilateral rib imaging. Choose 71120 when the examination is directed at the sternum rather than the ribs.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
71120 Sternum X-ray Medicare reimbursement rates in Delaware
Reports a multi-view sternum radiograph to evaluate suspected sternal injury, focal pain, or another clinical concern centered on the breastbone. Compare 71120 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Delaware.
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 71120 in Delaware?
Delaware 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
$32.72
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Delaware
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 71120: Sternum radiograph, multiple views
Reports a multi-view sternum radiograph to evaluate suspected sternal injury, focal pain, or another clinical concern centered on the breastbone.
This study uses at least two radiographic projections centered on the sternum. It is commonly obtained in an emergency department, hospital, or outpatient imaging setting when blunt chest trauma, focal breastbone tenderness, or another concern calls for imaging of the sternum itself. A radiologic technologist acquires the images, and a radiologist or other qualified interpreting practitioner reviews them and documents the findings.
Report one unit for the sternum examination when two or more views are obtained; the number of projections does not create separate units. The order and report should support the sternal target and the clinical reason for imaging. CMS recognizes a professional component for interpretation and a technical component for equipment and staff: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies the technical service, and reporting without either modifier represents the global service.
CMS billing rules for 71120
- 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 RVU0.20 · 20%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.77 · 78%
- Malpractice RVU0.02 · 2%
9.1K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1524 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.
71120 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Delaware, from the same CMS release.
$41.31
71101 covers unilateral rib imaging that includes a chest view. It does not replace a study centered on the sternum.
$40.98
71130 evaluates the sternoclavicular joints. Use 71120 when the radiographic target is the sternum itself.
Compare 71120 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
Delaware →
Office / nonfacility
$32.72
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 71120 in Delaware.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
7,904
- Code
- 71120
- Physician work
- 0.20
- Practice expense
- 0.77
- Malpractice
- 0.02
GPCI2026.csv
40
- Locality
- Delaware
- Physician work
- 1.005
- Practice expense
- 0.988
- Malpractice
- 0.899
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.20 | × 1.005 | 0.2010 |
| Practice expense | 0.77 | × 0.988 | 0.7608 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | × 0.899 | 0.0180 |
| Total RVUs | 0.9797 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Delaware$32.72
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.2 | 1.005 |
| Practice expense | 0.77 | 0.988 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | 0.899 |
(0.2 × 1.005 + 0.77 × 0.988 + 0.02 × 0.899) × $33.4009 = $32.72
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.
71120 billing questions
When should this be selected instead of a rib study?
Use this code when the examination is centered on the sternum. Select a rib code when the documented target is the ribs, with or without a chest view.
Does each additional sternum view require another unit?
No. The code represents the sternum examination with two or more views; additional projections within that examination do not create additional units.
How do modifiers 26 and TC apply?
Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, while TC identifies the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
What documentation supports reporting this examination?
The record should identify the sternum as the imaging target, document the clinical reason for the study, and include the acquired views and interpretation.
Is a sternoclavicular joint study interchangeable with this code?
No. This examination targets the sternum; a sternoclavicular joint study targets the joints where the clavicles meet the sternum.
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.
7,90171111,,X-ray exam ribs/chest4/> vws,A,,0.31,1.20,,1.20,NA,0.03,1.54,1.54,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.29,3.29,0.05
7,90271111,26,X-ray exam ribs/chest4/> vws,A,,0.31,0.12,,0.12,,0.02,0.45,0.45,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,90371111,TC,X-ray exam ribs/chest4/> vws,A,,0.00,1.08,,1.08,NA,0.01,1.09,1.09,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,2,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,3.17,3.17,0.03
7,90471120,,X-ray exam breastbone 2/>vws,A,,0.20,0.77,,0.77,NA,0.02,0.99,0.99,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,2.69,2.69,0.05
7,90571120,26,X-ray exam breastbone 2/>vws,A,,0.20,0.07,,0.07,,0.01,0.28,0.28,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,90671120,TC,X-ray exam breastbone 2/>vws,A,,0.00,0.70,,0.70,NA,0.01,0.71,0.71,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,2.62,2.62,0.04
7,90771130,,X-ray strenoclavic jt 3/>vws,A,,0.21,1.01,,1.01,NA,0.02,1.24,1.24,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,2.72,2.72,0.04
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
4209102,FL,04,MIAMI,1.000,1.041,2.529
4309102,FL,99,REST OF FLORIDA,1.000,0.956,1.503