Billing code 70470: Head CTMedicare rate & RVUs in Oklahoma
Reports a head or brain CT with image acquisition both before and after contrast, commonly used to evaluate findings requiring both phases.
Medicare pays $158.59 for 70470 in the office in Oklahoma (Oklahoma). 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 70470 covers
This examination acquires CT images of the head or brain before and after intravenous contrast. Radiologists interpret the images, while CT technologists perform the scan under the ordering clinician’s direction. Common clinical situations include evaluation of a suspected intracranial mass or infection when both unenhanced and contrast-enhanced images are requested. The service is performed in hospital imaging departments and outpatient diagnostic imaging centers.
Report this code when the study includes both the noncontrast and contrast-enhanced phases; use a single code for the complete examination rather than separate codes for each phase. The order and imaging report should support the head or brain anatomy examined and the acquisition of both phases. The service may be billed globally, or the interpretation and the equipment-and-staff portion may be billed separately with modifiers 26 and TC. When multiple diagnostic imaging procedures are performed, Medicare’s multiple-procedure reduction applies to both the technical and professional components.
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.
70470 in Oklahoma
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma | $158.59 | Unavailable |
How the 70470 rate is calculated
Each of 70470’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 · 70470
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.24
1.24 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense3.85
3.85 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.09
0.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
5.1800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$173.02
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 70470
The CMS indicators that decide how 70470 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 70470
Head CT
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 4 | Diagnostic imaging reduction applies to the technical component (and professional component) of additional services. |
| 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
70470 without 26 · national office
$173.02
Head CT
70470-26 · Professional component
$58.45
Pays only the interpretation and report.
70470 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 70450Head CT
- Choose 70450 when the head CT is performed without contrast only. This code requires both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced acquisitions.
- 70460Head CT
- Choose 70460 when the head CT uses contrast but has no noncontrast phase. Report this code when both phases are performed.
- 70496Ct angiography head
- 70496 describes CT angiography of the head for vascular evaluation. This code describes a routine head or brain CT with both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced phases.
70470 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of 70450 or 70460?
Use this code when the head CT includes both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced image acquisitions. Code 70450 describes a noncontrast study, while 70460 describes a study with contrast only.
Should the two phases be reported as separate CT services?
No. Report one unit of this code for the complete head CT with both phases, rather than separate codes for the precontrast and postcontrast acquisitions.
How are the interpretation and scan acquisition billed?
The global service is billed without a component modifier. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical portion, including equipment and staff.
Can a professional or technical component be subject to a multiple-procedure reduction?
Yes. When multiple diagnostic imaging procedures are performed, the Medicare multiple-procedure reduction applies to both the professional and technical components.
What documentation supports reporting both contrast phases?
The order and imaging report should identify the head or brain study and show that images were acquired both before and after contrast. A contrast-enhanced phase alone does not support this code.
Is this the appropriate code for a head CTA?
No. This code describes a routine head CT with and without contrast; code 70496 is for head CT angiography when vascular imaging is performed.
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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