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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01

70481 CT imaging Medicare reimbursement rates in New Mexico

Contrast-enhanced CT focused on the orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear is reported when diagnostic evaluation requires these targeted anatomic regions. Compare 70481 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in New Mexico.

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 70481 in New Mexico?

New Mexico 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

$168.69

1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.

Payment area: New Mexico

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.

Find 70481 in your payment locality →

CT imaging

About 70481: Contrast CT of orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear

Contrast-enhanced CT focused on the orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear is reported when diagnostic evaluation requires these targeted anatomic regions.

This service is a contrast-enhanced CT study directed to the orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear. It may be used to evaluate findings such as suspected orbital infection or mass, or a lesion in the sella or posterior fossa. A technologist typically performs the acquisition in a hospital, imaging center, or equipped office; a radiologist interprets the images and reports the findings.

Select this code when the documented study targets one of these regions and uses contrast. Use the corresponding noncontrast or combined-protocol code when the documented protocol differs, and choose a head or maxillofacial CT code when that is the intended anatomic study. Documentation should identify the region examined, clinical indication, contrast protocol, and interpretation. Report the global service without a component modifier, modifier 26 for the interpretation, or modifier TC for the technical service. The diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to both the professional and technical components when applicable.

CMS billing rules for 70481

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 RVU1.10 · 20%
  • Practice expense (office) RVU4.19 · 78%
  • Malpractice RVU0.09 · 2%

12.2K

Medicare services in 2024 · #1369 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.

70481 compared with similar codes

Office rates for New Mexico, from the same CMS release.

70480

Targeted CT

Without contrast

$149.50

Choose 70480 for the same targeted regions when the protocol is performed without contrast; choose 70481 when contrast is used.

70482

CT imaging

Without and with contrast

$196.03

Choose 70482 when imaging includes both noncontrast and contrast phases. This code describes the contrast-enhanced study without the noncontrast phase.

70460

Head CT

Contrast only

$139.89

70460 is for a contrast-enhanced head or brain CT. Use 70481 when the documented target is the orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear.

70487

Facial CT

Contrast-enhanced only

$142.96

70487 covers contrast-enhanced CT of the maxillofacial region; 70481 is selected for its specified orbital, sellar, posterior fossa, or ear targets.

Compare 70481 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

Office and facility base rates · shared scale starting at $0

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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 70481 in New Mexico.

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

7,799

Code
70481
Physician work
1.10
Practice expense
4.19
Malpractice
0.09

GPCI2026.csv

77

Locality
New Mexico
Physician work
1.000
Practice expense
0.917
Malpractice
1.201
Office / nonfacility calculation for 70481 in New Mexico
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work1.10× 1.0001.1000
Practice expense4.19× 0.9173.8422
Malpractice0.09× 1.2010.1081
Total RVUs5.0503
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Office / nonfacility rate, New Mexico$168.69

Values as parsed from CMS release RVU26D, effective 2026-10-01. The amount is rounded to the nearest cent only at the end.
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula

Office / nonfacility

Office / nonfacility calculation inputs
ComponentRVULocal GPCI
Work1.11
Practice expense4.190.917
Malpractice0.091.201

(1.1 × 1 + 4.19 × 0.917 + 0.09 × 1.201) × $33.4009 = $168.69

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.

70481 billing questions

How does this differ from 70480?

This code is for a contrast-enhanced study of the specified region. 70480 is used when the study is performed without contrast.

When should 70482 be used instead?

Use 70482 when the documented protocol includes both noncontrast and contrast imaging. This code is for the contrast-enhanced protocol without the noncontrast portion.

Which modifiers identify the professional and technical services?

Use modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and modifier TC for the technical service. Billing without a component modifier represents the global service.

Does the multiple procedure reduction affect both components?

Yes. The diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to both the technical and professional components.

Should this code be used for a general head CT with contrast?

No. Use this code when the study targets the orbit, sella, posterior fossa, or ear; 70460 is for a head or brain CT with contrast.

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.

RVUs for 70481PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,799 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for New MexicoGPCI2026.csv, line 77 (RVU26D)
Open CMS sourceHow this rate is calculatedBuild a fee sheet