Billing code 78070: Parathyroid imagingMedicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports planar nuclear imaging of the parathyroid glands to evaluate suspected abnormal gland activity, without SPECT or CT acquisition.
Medicare pays $242.17–$269.37 for 78070 in the office in Illinois, from Rest Of Illinois to Suburban Chicago. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
On this page 9 sections
What 78070 covers
This service uses a gamma camera to obtain planar images of the parathyroid region, commonly during evaluation of suspected hyperparathyroidism or to localize abnormal parathyroid tissue. A nuclear medicine technologist typically performs the image acquisition in a hospital or outpatient imaging department, and a radiologist or nuclear medicine physician interprets the study. Select this code for planar imaging without subtraction; use a different code when the performed examination includes subtraction or SPECT/CT.
The record should support the clinical indication, the planar acquisition performed, and the interpreting physician’s findings. Medicare recognizes professional and technical components: report modifier 26 for the interpretation, modifier TC for the equipment and staff, or neither modifier when billing the global service. CMS separately prices the 26 and TC components. The professional component reflects the physician’s interpretation, while the technical component represents performance of the imaging service.
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.
Where 78070 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
4 payment localities
$242.17 to $269.37
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $265.66 | Unavailable |
| East St. Louis | $245.00 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Illinois | $242.17 | Unavailable |
| Suburban Chicago | $269.37 | Unavailable |
How the 78070 rate is calculated
Each of 78070’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.
How the rate is built · 78070
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.78
0.78 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense6.95
6.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.08
0.08 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
7.8100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$260.86
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 78070
The CMS indicators that decide how 78070 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78070
Parathyroid imaging
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 1 | Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 26 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
78070 without 26 · national office
$260.86
Parathyroid imaging
78070-26 · Professional component
$36.41
Pays only the interpretation and report.
78070 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
78070 vs 78071 vs 78072: Medicare rates
How to choose
78070 billing questions
When should 78070 be selected instead of 78071?
Use 78070 for planar parathyroid imaging without subtraction. When subtraction is performed, 78071 is the more appropriate code.
How does 78070 differ from 78072?
78070 describes planar imaging alone. 78072 is for an examination that includes SPECT and CT in addition to planar imaging.
Which modifiers apply when only one component is billed?
Use modifier 26 for the physician’s interpretation or modifier TC for the technical service. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
What documentation supports reporting 78070?
Document the clinical indication, that planar parathyroid imaging was performed, and the physician’s interpretation. The record should distinguish the study from one involving subtraction or SPECT/CT.
Does 78070 include the physician’s interpretation?
The global service includes both the professional and technical components. When billing only the interpretation, report modifier 26; when billing only acquisition and related technical services, report modifier TC.
Where these rates come from
FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.
CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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