$112.06–$123.83
Both cover an upper GI examination, but 74246 describes an air-contrast technique; 74240 describes a single-contrast study.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
74246 Upper GI imaging Medicare reimbursement rates in Georgia
Reports fluoroscopic double-contrast imaging of the esophagus, stomach, and proximal small bowel during an air-contrast upper gastrointestinal series. Compare 74246 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Georgia.
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 74246 in Georgia?
Georgia has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$123.84–$136.75
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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 radiology
About 74246: Double-contrast upper GI examination
Reports fluoroscopic double-contrast imaging of the esophagus, stomach, and proximal small bowel during an air-contrast upper gastrointestinal series.
This examination uses fluoroscopy and radiographs to assess the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum, sometimes extending to the proximal jejunum. The patient swallows contrast, typically high-density barium with an effervescent agent that distends the upper GI tract with gas. A radiologist guides the study and interprets the images, with a technologist assisting with imaging. It is commonly performed in a hospital radiology department or outpatient imaging center to evaluate symptoms or suspected structural abnormalities such as a hiatal hernia or ulcer.
Select this code when the documented examination uses an air-contrast protocol to image the upper GI tract; a single-contrast study is reported differently. The record should support the anatomic coverage, contrast technique, and final interpretation. CMS recognizes separately priced professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, and modifier TC identifies equipment and staff. Reporting without either modifier represents the global service.
CMS billing rules for 74246
- 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 RVU0.88 · 22%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.09 · 77%
- Malpractice RVU0.06 · 1%
39.7K
Medicare services in 2024 · #872 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.
74246 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Georgia, from the same CMS release.
$86.55–$95.69
74220 is limited to an esophageal examination with single contrast. Use 74246 when the air-contrast study evaluates the broader upper GI tract.
$97.10–$107.25
74221 is a double-contrast esophagus-only examination. Choose 74246 when the study also examines the stomach and duodenum or proximal jejunum.
$108.92–$120.16
74250 describes a small-intestine examination, not an air-contrast upper GI series. Select based on the documented anatomy and imaging performed.
Compare 74246 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Atlanta →
Office / nonfacility
$136.75
Facility
Unavailable
Rest Of Georgia →
Office / nonfacility
$123.84
Facility
Unavailable
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
74246 billing questions
How does this differ from 74240?
74246 is for an air-contrast upper GI examination. Use 74240 for an upper GI study performed with single contrast.
When should the esophagus-only codes be used instead?
Use 74220 or 74221 when the examination is limited to the esophagus and matches the applicable contrast technique. This code covers a broader upper GI examination.
Can the professional and technical services be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
What documentation supports reporting 74246?
The report should identify the upper GI anatomy examined, the air-contrast technique, and the interpreting physician's findings. The imaging record should support that the study was not single contrast.
Does this code describe a small-bowel follow-through?
No. It describes an air-contrast upper GI examination. A study focused on serial imaging of the small intestine is coded according to its own procedure and contrast method.
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.
8,35474240,,X-ray xm upr gi trc 1cntrst,A,,0.78,2.82,,2.82,NA,0.05,3.65,3.65,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,5.65,5.65,0.06
8,35574240,26,X-ray xm upr gi trc 1cntrst,A,,0.78,0.31,,0.31,,0.04,1.13,1.13,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,35674240,TC,X-ray xm upr gi trc 1cntrst,A,,0.00,2.51,,2.51,NA,0.01,2.52,2.52,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,03,0,99,5.34,5.34,0.02
8,35774246,,X-ray xm upr gi trc 2cntrst,A,,0.88,3.09,,3.09,NA,0.06,4.03,4.03,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,5.67,5.67,0.07
8,35874246,26,X-ray xm upr gi trc 2cntrst,A,,0.88,0.32,,0.32,,0.05,1.25,1.25,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,35974246,TC,X-ray xm upr gi trc 2cntrst,A,,0.00,2.77,,2.77,NA,0.01,2.78,2.78,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,03,0,99,5.35,5.35,0.02
8,36074248,,X-ray sm int f-thru std,A,,0.68,1.65,,1.65,NA,0.05,2.38,2.38,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00