$60.66
Choose 76881 for a complete extremity examination. Choose 76882 for a limited or focused evaluation of an area or structure.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
76881 Joint ultrasound Medicare reimbursement rates in Ohio
Reports a complete real-time, nonvascular ultrasound examination of an extremity, such as a shoulder or knee, with documented images. Compare 76881 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Ohio.
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 76881 in Ohio?
Ohio 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
$51.81
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Ohio
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 76881: Complete extremity joint ultrasound
Reports a complete real-time, nonvascular ultrasound examination of an extremity, such as a shoulder or knee, with documented images.
This service is a real-time ultrasound examination of an extremity, with image documentation, for a diagnostic assessment of a joint and its surrounding soft tissues. Orthopedists, rheumatologists, sports medicine physicians, and radiology practices may use it to evaluate findings such as joint fluid, synovial changes, or periarticular soft-tissue abnormalities. A shoulder or knee may be examined when symptoms or examination findings call for a complete study rather than a focused look at one structure.
Select the complete service when the documented examination covers the required scope of a complete extremity study; use the limited-study code when the evaluation is focused. The report should identify the body site, describe the structures examined and findings, and include image documentation. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies interpretation, modifier TC identifies equipment and staff, and billing without either modifier represents the global service.
CMS billing rules for 76881
- 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 RVU0.88 · 55%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.68 · 42%
- Malpractice RVU0.05 · 3%
172.7K
Medicare services in 2024 · #413 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.
76881 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Ohio, from the same CMS release.
$71.69
76883 is for a dedicated examination of a nerve and accompanying structures. 76881 is for a complete nonvascular extremity study, such as a joint assessment.
$60.57
76881 reports diagnostic extremity imaging with image documentation. 76942 reports ultrasound guidance used to place a needle during a procedure.
Compare 76881 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
Ohio →
Office / nonfacility
$51.81
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 76881 in Ohio.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
8,841
- Code
- 76881
- Physician work
- 0.88
- Practice expense
- 0.68
- Malpractice
- 0.05
GPCI2026.csv
85
- Locality
- Ohio
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.913
- Malpractice
- 1.008
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.88 | × 1.000 | 0.8800 |
| Practice expense | 0.68 | × 0.913 | 0.6208 |
| Malpractice | 0.05 | × 1.008 | 0.0504 |
| Total RVUs | 1.5512 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Ohio$51.81
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.88 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 0.68 | 0.913 |
| Malpractice | 0.05 | 1.008 |
(0.88 × 1 + 0.68 × 0.913 + 0.05 × 1.008) × $33.4009 = $51.81
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.
76881 billing questions
When should 76881 be chosen over 76882?
Use 76881 for a complete extremity examination. Use 76882 when the ultrasound is limited or focused on a specific area or structure.
What documentation supports a complete examination?
Document the extremity and joint examined, the scope and structures evaluated, the findings, and the associated images. The record should support a complete rather than focused study.
How are modifiers 26 and TC used?
Append modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and modifier TC for the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
Can 76881 be used for ultrasound-guided needle placement?
No. 76881 reports a diagnostic extremity ultrasound examination; 76942 describes ultrasound guidance for needle placement. The record should distinguish diagnostic imaging from procedural guidance.
Is a nerve-focused ultrasound the same service?
No. A dedicated ultrasound examination of a nerve and accompanying structures is represented by 76883, while 76881 describes a complete nonvascular extremity study.
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.
8,83876873,,Echograp trans r pros study,A,,1.51,3.76,,3.76,NA,0.08,5.35,5.35,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.89,3.89,0.08
8,83976873,26,Echograp trans r pros study,A,,1.51,0.71,,0.71,,0.06,2.28,2.28,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,84076873,TC,Echograp trans r pros study,A,,0.00,3.05,,3.05,NA,0.02,3.07,3.07,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,99,3.18,3.18,0.02
8,84176881,,Us compl joint r-t w/img,A,,0.88,0.68,,0.68,NA,0.05,1.61,1.61,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.46,3.46,0.14
8,84276881,26,Us compl joint r-t w/img,A,,0.88,0.36,,0.36,,0.04,1.28,1.28,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,84376881,TC,Us compl joint r-t w/img,A,,0.00,0.32,,0.32,NA,0.01,0.33,0.33,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.10,3.10,0.10
8,84476882,,Us lmtd jt/fcl evl nvasc xtr,A,,0.67,1.20,,1.20,NA,0.05,1.92,1.92,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.41,3.41,0.07
8213282,NY,99,REST OF NEW YORK,1.000,0.950,0.703
8311502,NC,00,NORTH CAROLINA,1.000,0.933,0.639
8403302,ND,01,NORTH DAKOTA**,1.000,1.000,0.406
8515202,OH,00,OHIO,1.000,0.913,1.008
8604312,OK,00,OKLAHOMA,1.000,0.893,0.777
8702302,OR,01,PORTLAND,1.016,1.111,0.744
8802302,OR,99,REST OF OREGON,1.000,0.996,0.703