Billing code 76881: Joint ultrasoundMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Reports a complete real-time, nonvascular ultrasound examination of an extremity, such as a shoulder or knee, with documented images.
Medicare pays $53.19–$56.34 for 76881 in the office in Oregon, from Rest Of Oregon to Portland. 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 76881 covers
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.
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.
Where 76881 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $56.34 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Oregon | $53.19 | Unavailable |
How the 76881 rate is calculated
Each of 76881’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 · 76881
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.88
0.88 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.68
0.68 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.05
0.05 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.6100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$53.78
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 76881
The CMS indicators that decide how 76881 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 76881
Joint ultrasound
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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
76881 without 26 · national office
$53.78
Joint ultrasound
76881-26 · Professional component
$42.75
Pays only the interpretation and report.
76881 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 76882Extremity ultrasound
- Choose 76881 for a complete extremity examination. Choose 76882 for a limited or focused evaluation of an area or structure.
- 76883Nerve ultrasound
- 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.
- 76942Ultrasound needle guidance
- 76881 reports diagnostic extremity imaging with image documentation. 76942 reports ultrasound guidance used to place a needle during a procedure.
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 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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