Billing code 71045: Chest X-rayMedicare rate & RVUs in Rhode Island
A chest radiograph limited to one projection, often a portable AP view, reported to assess tube position, suspected pneumothorax, or changing lung findings.
Medicare pays $26.04 for 71045 in the office in Rhode Island (Rhode Island). 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 71045 covers
This study obtains one projection of the chest, often an anteroposterior view taken with a portable unit at the bedside in an ICU, emergency department, or post-anesthesia unit. Common reasons include assessing endotracheal tube, central venous catheter, or feeding tube position; evaluating suspected pneumothorax after a procedure; and following a clinically significant change in pneumonia, effusion, or pulmonary edema. A radiologic technologist acquires the image, and a radiologist or other physician interprets it and issues a written report.
Code selection depends on the number of distinct views obtained, not the reason for the exam. One projection of any orientation qualifies; additional views call for the appropriate multiview chest code. The technical component, billed with modifier TC, covers equipment, staff, and image acquisition. The professional component, billed with modifier 26, covers interpretation and reporting. A hospital-based radiologist bills the professional component when the hospital provides the technical resources. An office or imaging center providing both components bills the global service without a component modifier. The order, recorded view, and signed findings support the reported 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.
71045 in Rhode Island
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rhode Island | $26.04 | Unavailable |
How the 71045 rate is calculated
Each of 71045’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 · 71045
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.18
0.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.56
0.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.02
0.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.7600
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$25.38
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 71045
The CMS indicators that decide how 71045 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 71045
Chest X-ray
| 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
71045 without 26 · national office
$25.38
Chest X-ray
71045-26 · Professional component
$8.35
Pays only the interpretation and report.
71045 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 71046Chest X-ray
- Report 71046 for two distinct chest projections, such as frontal and lateral. A lone portable AP view remains 71045.
- 71047Chest X-ray
- Report 71047 for three distinct chest views. Repeat exposures of the same view do not increase the view count.
- 71250Chest CT
- 71250 produces cross-sectional CT images without contrast; 71045 is a single plain-film projection. If both are performed, each needs its own clinical justification and documented interpretation.
71045 billing questions
Does a single lateral or decubitus view still report as this code?
Yes. One chest projection, whether frontal, lateral, or decubitus, is reported with 71045. Two distinct views call for 71046.
How are multiple portable chest films on the same day reported?
Separate medically necessary single-view examinations may each be reported when the order, acquisition, interpretation, and exam times establish distinct studies; repeat exposures within one exam do not create additional units. When appropriate, modifier 76 identifies a repeat by the same physician and 77 a repeat by another physician.
Which modifier does a radiologist use when reading an inpatient or ED film?
Use modifier 26 for the interpretation when the hospital provides the equipment and staff. An unmodified claim represents both the technical and professional components.
Can the physician who placed a central line bill the confirmation chest X-ray?
The placing physician may report the professional component if they personally interpret the film and issue a separate, signed diagnostic report. A tip-position note in the insertion record alone is insufficient, and the same interpretation cannot be billed by both that physician and a radiologist.
Are portable equipment transport charges included?
An eligible portable X-ray supplier may separately report transport for one patient with R0070 and equipment setup with Q0092 when those services are furnished. Those supplier transport and setup codes are not used for a hospital portable film.
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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