$102.40–$107.94
78130 evaluates how long red cells survive; 78140 evaluates red-cell sequestration. Use the code for the study actually performed and documented.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
78130 Red-cell survival Medicare reimbursement rates in Michigan
Reports a nuclear medicine study that tracks labeled red blood cells over time to assess their survival in patients with suspected shortened erythrocyte lifespan. Compare 78130 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Michigan.
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 78130 in Michigan?
Michigan 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
$118.10–$124.86
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.
Nuclear medicine
About 78130: Red blood cell survival study
Reports a nuclear medicine study that tracks labeled red blood cells over time to assess their survival in patients with suspected shortened erythrocyte lifespan.
For this study, the patient’s red blood cells are labeled and returned to circulation, then evaluated through follow-up sampling to estimate how long they survive. It is used in investigations of suspected hemolysis or other causes of shortened red-cell lifespan. Nuclear medicine personnel perform the technical work, and a qualified physician interprets the results. The service may be provided through a hospital or other diagnostic testing setting that can manage cell labeling and serial assessment.
Report 78130 when the documented service evaluates red-cell survival, not simply red-cell quantity or the location of cell sequestration. The record should support the labeling and administration of the cells, the survival assessment, and the physician’s interpretation and report. CMS recognizes a professional component for interpretation and a technical component for equipment and staff: report modifier 26 for the interpretation, modifier TC for the technical service, or neither modifier for the global service when one entity provides both components.
CMS billing rules for 78130
- 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 RVU0.59 · 16%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.14 · 83%
- Malpractice RVU0.07 · 2%
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.
78130 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Michigan, from the same CMS release.
$67.17–$71.40
78120 measures red-cell mass in a single determination. Choose 78130 when the test evaluates red-cell lifespan instead of the circulating red-cell quantity.
$118.10–$124.86
78191 evaluates platelet survival, while 78130 evaluates red-cell survival. The cell type studied determines the code.
Compare 78130 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
Detroit →
Office / nonfacility
$124.86
Facility
Unavailable
Rest Of Michigan →
Office / nonfacility
$118.10
Facility
Unavailable
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78130 billing questions
How is 78130 different from a red-cell mass study?
78130 evaluates how long circulating red cells survive. Red-cell mass testing measures the amount of red-cell volume rather than cell lifespan.
When should modifier 26 or TC be used?
Use modifier 26 for the physician’s interpretation and report, and TC for the technical service. Report the global service without either modifier when both components are billed together.
Does 78130 include a red-cell sequestration study?
The survival assessment and sequestration assessment address different findings. Report 78130 for the survival work performed; the documentation should identify any separately performed sequestration study.
What documentation supports reporting 78130?
Document the red-cell labeling and administration, the survival assessment, and the interpretation. The record should establish that the test evaluates red-cell lifespan rather than mass alone.
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.
9,23678122,,Whl bld volume determination,A,,0.44,2.53,,2.53,NA,0.06,3.03,3.03,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,23778122,26,Whl bld volume determination,A,,0.44,0.16,,0.16,,0.02,0.62,0.62,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,23878122,TC,Whl bld volume determination,A,,0.00,2.37,,2.37,NA,0.04,2.41,2.41,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,23978130,,Red cell survival study,A,,0.59,3.14,,3.14,NA,0.07,3.80,3.80,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,24078130,26,Red cell survival study,A,,0.59,0.11,,0.11,,0.01,0.71,0.71,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,24178130,TC,Red cell survival study,A,,0.00,3.03,,3.03,NA,0.06,3.09,3.09,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,24278140,,Red cell sequestration,A,,0.59,2.65,,2.65,NA,0.05,3.29,3.29,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,12.15,12.15,0.20