Billing code 76979: Contrast ultrasoundMedicare rate & RVUs in Kansas
Reports dynamic microbubble contrast ultrasound assessment of an additional target lesion after the initial lesion is evaluated with the primary code.
Medicare pays $98.48 for 76979 in the office in Kansas (Kansas). 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 76979 covers
This add-on represents contrast-enhanced ultrasound assessment of another distinct target lesion after the initial lesion. A radiologist or other qualified physician uses ultrasound imaging with microbubble contrast to evaluate lesion perfusion and characterize findings; assessment of treatment response may also be part of the examination. Focal liver lesions are a common setting for this technique. The service is typically performed in a hospital imaging department or outpatient diagnostic imaging setting.
Report 76979 for each additional lesion evaluated after the first lesion reported with 76978. The record should identify the separate target lesions and support dynamic contrast assessment of each one. CMS classifies this as an add-on, so it is billed with the primary procedure and paid within that procedure's global period. The diagnostic service may be billed globally or split into its professional interpretation (modifier 26) and technical service (modifier TC); a claim without either modifier represents the global 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.
76979 in Kansas
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas | $98.48 | Unavailable |
How the 76979 rate is calculated
Each of 76979’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 · 76979
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.83
0.83 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.31
2.31 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.06
0.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
3.2000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$106.88
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 76979
The CMS indicators that decide how 76979 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 76979
Contrast ultrasound
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | ZZZ | Add-on code: falls within the primary procedure’s global period. |
| 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
76979 without 26 · national office
$106.88
Contrast ultrasound
76979-26 · Professional component
$39.41
Pays only the interpretation and report.
76979 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 76978Contrast ultrasound
- 76978 is used for the initial target lesion in the dynamic microbubble contrast examination. Use 76979 only for additional distinct lesions in that examination.
- 76982Ultrasound elastography
- 76982 evaluates an initial target lesion using elastography. Choose it for that technique, not for dynamic microbubble contrast assessment.
- 76983Ultrasound elastography
- 76983 is the additional-lesion code for targeted elastography. 76979 instead represents additional lesions assessed with microbubble contrast.
- 76942Ultrasound needle guidance
- 76942 reports ultrasound guidance for a needle procedure such as biopsy. 76979 represents contrast-based lesion characterization, not needle guidance.
76979 billing questions
When should 76979 be reported instead of 76978?
Use 76978 for the initial target lesion. Report 76979 for each additional distinct lesion assessed with the same dynamic microbubble contrast technique.
Which primary code must accompany 76979?
Report 76979 with 76978, which represents assessment of the initial target lesion. The add-on code is not reported by itself.
Can 76979 be reported for repeated imaging of the same lesion?
The add-on represents an additional lesion, not another pass or image set of the initial lesion. Documentation should distinguish each additional target assessed.
How are the professional and technical services billed?
Bill modifier 26 for the professional interpretation or modifier TC for the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
How does 76979 differ from 76983?
76979 represents an additional lesion evaluated with dynamic microbubble contrast. 76983 represents an additional target assessed with ultrasound elastography, a different imaging technique.
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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