$175.68
93880 is a duplex vascular study of the carotid arteries with Doppler flow analysis. Use 76536 to evaluate thyroid, parathyroid, salivary glands, or lymph nodes rather than carotid blood flow.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
76536 Head and neck ultrasound Medicare reimbursement rates in Indiana
Report diagnostic head and neck soft tissue ultrasound for thyroid nodules, salivary masses, parathyroid assessment, or cervical lymphadenopathy, with stored images and interpretation. Compare 76536 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Indiana.
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 76536 in Indiana?
Indiana 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
$101.38
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Indiana
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.
Diagnostic ultrasound
About 76536: Soft tissue ultrasound of the head and neck
Report diagnostic head and neck soft tissue ultrasound for thyroid nodules, salivary masses, parathyroid assessment, or cervical lymphadenopathy, with stored images and interpretation.
This exam evaluates superficial soft tissue structures of the head and neck with real-time ultrasound and permanent image documentation. The most common use is thyroid imaging for palpable nodules, goiter, abnormal thyroid labs, or follow-up of known nodules. It also covers parathyroid localization before surgery, parotid and submandibular gland masses, neck lumps, and cervical lymph node assessment in head and neck or thyroid cancer surveillance. Sonographers in radiology departments and imaging centers usually acquire the images and radiologists interpret them, though endocrinologists and otolaryngologists may perform and read the study in the office.
Report one unit for a head and neck soft tissue examination, regardless of how many glands or nodes are examined. The report should identify the structures evaluated, describe findings such as nodule size, composition, and location, and reference stored images. CMS prices this diagnostic test by component: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation and report, modifier TC identifies the equipment, staff, and supplies, and billing without a modifier claims the global service when one entity provides both. Hospital-based radiologists typically bill with modifier 26 while the facility bills the technical portion.
CMS billing rules for 76536
- 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 RVU0.55 · 17%
- Practice expense (office) RVU2.66 · 82%
- Malpractice RVU0.04 · 1%
991.7K
Medicare services in 2024 · #142 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.
76536 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Indiana, from the same CMS release.
$101.69
76506 images the brain and intracranial structures, usually in infants through the fontanelle. 76536 covers superficial head and neck soft tissues such as the thyroid and parotid.
$60.44
76942 reports ultrasound guidance for needle placement. 76536 is a diagnostic head and neck soft tissue examination with its own images and interpretation report.
$60.35
76882 is a limited nonvascular ultrasound of an extremity. Use 76536 for a diagnostic soft tissue ultrasound of the neck, face, or salivary glands.
Compare 76536 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
Indiana →
Office / nonfacility
$101.38
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 76536 in Indiana.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
8,730
- Code
- 76536
- Physician work
- 0.55
- Practice expense
- 2.66
- Malpractice
- 0.04
GPCI2026.csv
52
- Locality
- Indiana
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.927
- Malpractice
- 0.486
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.55 | × 1.000 | 0.5500 |
| Practice expense | 2.66 | × 0.927 | 2.4658 |
| Malpractice | 0.04 | × 0.486 | 0.0194 |
| Total RVUs | 3.0353 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Indiana$101.38
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.55 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 2.66 | 0.927 |
| Malpractice | 0.04 | 0.486 |
(0.55 × 1 + 2.66 × 0.927 + 0.04 × 0.486) × $33.4009 = $101.38
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.
76536 billing questions
Should carotid artery ultrasound be billed with this code?
No. Carotid evaluation is a vascular duplex study reported with 93880 or 93882. This code is for nonvascular soft tissues like the thyroid, parathyroids, salivary glands, and lymph nodes.
Can this be billed with an ultrasound-guided thyroid fine needle aspiration?
Ultrasound guidance is included in 10005 and 10006, so this code should not be reported just for localizing the needle target. A separately documented diagnostic neck ultrasound with its own report may be reportable when medically necessary.
Which modifier does a radiologist reading a hospital outpatient study use?
The radiologist appends modifier 26 for the interpretation and report, and the hospital reports the technical portion on its facility claim. An office that provides both the imaging and interpretation bills the code without a modifier.
Is it reported per gland or per side?
Report one unit for the head and neck soft tissue examination, even when the thyroid, parathyroids, and cervical lymph nodes are all evaluated.
What documentation supports the claim?
A signed interpretation should describe the structures examined and findings, with images retained. Measurements and characterization of any nodules or nodes support follow-up studies.
Is infant head ultrasound through the fontanelle reported here?
No. Brain imaging through the fontanelle is reported with 76506. This code addresses superficial soft tissues of the head and neck, not intracranial contents.
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.
8,72776529,,Echo exam of eye,A,,0.56,2.02,,2.02,NA,0.03,2.61,2.61,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.03,3.03,0.04
8,72876529,26,Echo exam of eye,A,,0.56,0.38,,0.38,,0.02,0.96,0.96,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,72976529,TC,Echo exam of eye,A,,0.00,1.64,,1.64,NA,0.01,1.65,1.65,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,2.65,2.65,0.02
8,73076536,,Us exam of head and neck,A,,0.55,2.66,,2.66,NA,0.04,3.25,3.25,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.39,3.39,0.04
8,73176536,26,Us exam of head and neck,A,,0.55,0.21,,0.21,,0.03,0.79,0.79,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,73276536,TC,Us exam of head and neck,A,,0.00,2.45,,2.45,NA,0.01,2.46,2.46,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,3.18,3.18,0.01
8,73376604,,Us exam chest,A,,0.58,1.20,,1.20,NA,0.05,1.83,1.83,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,3.38,3.38,0.07
4906102,IL,12,EAST ST. LOUIS,1.000,0.920,2.014
5006102,IL,15,SUBURBAN CHICAGO,1.007,1.027,1.772
5106102,IL,99,REST OF ILLINOIS,1.000,0.913,1.563
5208102,IN,00,INDIANA,1.000,0.927,0.486
5305102,IA,00,IOWA,1.000,0.915,0.397
5405202,KS,00,KANSAS,1.000,0.904,0.504
5515102,KY,00,KENTUCKY,1.000,0.889,0.915