$100.03–$105.32
76981 assesses parenchymal tissue, commonly the liver; 76982 evaluates a discrete target lesion.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
76981 Ultrasound elastography Medicare reimbursement rates in New Jersey
Ultrasound elastography evaluates tissue stiffness across an organ’s parenchyma, commonly the liver, and is reported with imaging documentation and interpretation. Compare 76981 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in New Jersey.
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 76981 in New Jersey?
New Jersey 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
$121.92–$128.57
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 ultrasound
About 76981: Parenchymal ultrasound elastography
Ultrasound elastography evaluates tissue stiffness across an organ’s parenchyma, commonly the liver, and is reported with imaging documentation and interpretation.
This service uses ultrasound elastography to assess tissue stiffness across an organ’s parenchyma rather than a discrete mass. A common clinical use is evaluating liver stiffness in a patient with chronic liver disease. Radiologists and clinicians in specialties such as hepatology or gastroenterology may perform or interpret the study in office or facility settings. The code includes imaging documentation, interpretation, and a report.
Select this code when the study evaluates parenchymal tissue; focal target-lesion elastography is coded separately. Documentation should identify the organ or tissue examined, support the parenchymal assessment, and include the findings and interpretation. The service has professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff, and billing without either modifier represents the global service. CMS’s diagnostic imaging multiple-procedure reduction applies to both components when applicable.
CMS billing rules for 76981
- 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.
- Multiple procedures
- Diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to the technical and professional components.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.58 · 17%
- Practice expense (office) RVU2.75 · 82%
- Malpractice RVU0.04 · 1%
81.1K
Medicare services in 2024 · #625 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.
76981 compared with similar codes
Office rates for New Jersey, from the same CMS release.
$65.59–$68.90
76983 reports an additional target lesion in the 76982 lesion-elastography service, not another parenchymal assessment under 76981.
$184.38–$193.34
76978 uses contrast-enhanced ultrasound to assess a lesion; 76981 evaluates stiffness across parenchymal tissue.
Compare 76981 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
Northern Nj →
Office / nonfacility
$128.57
Facility
Unavailable
Rest Of New Jersey →
Office / nonfacility
$121.92
Facility
Unavailable
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76981 billing questions
When should 76981 be selected instead of 76982?
Use 76981 for elastography of parenchymal tissue, such as liver tissue. Use 76982 when the examination targets a discrete lesion.
Can 76983 be added to 76981 for another area?
No. Code 76983 is the additional-lesion code associated with 76982, not an add-on to parenchymal elastography.
How are the professional and technical services reported?
Report modifier 26 for the professional interpretation or TC for the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
Does the multiple-procedure reduction affect both components?
Yes. CMS applies the diagnostic imaging multiple-procedure reduction to both the professional and technical components when applicable.
What should the report document?
Document the parenchymal tissue examined and the elastography findings, with the interpretation and report supporting that the study assessed tissue rather than a discrete target lesion.
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.
8,89576979,,Us trgt dyn mbubb ea addl,A,,0.83,2.31,,2.31,NA,0.06,3.20,3.20,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,89676979,26,Us trgt dyn mbubb ea addl,A,,0.83,0.30,,0.30,,0.05,1.18,1.18,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,89776979,TC,Us trgt dyn mbubb ea addl,A,,0.00,2.01,,2.01,NA,0.01,2.02,2.02,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,03,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,89876981,,Use parenchyma,A,,0.58,2.75,,2.75,NA,0.04,3.37,3.37,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,3.44,3.44,0.04
8,89976981,26,Use parenchyma,A,,0.58,0.26,,0.26,,0.03,0.87,0.87,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,90076981,TC,Use parenchyma,A,,0.00,2.49,,2.49,NA,0.01,2.50,2.50,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,3.18,3.18,0.01
8,90176982,,Use 1st target lesion,A,,0.58,2.15,,2.15,NA,0.04,2.77,2.77,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,3.41,3.41,0.05