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CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01

76979 Contrast ultrasound Medicare reimbursement rates in Rhode Island

Reports dynamic microbubble contrast ultrasound assessment of an additional target lesion after the initial lesion is evaluated with the primary code. Compare 76979 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Rhode Island.

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 76979 in Rhode Island?

Rhode Island 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

$109.74

1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.

Payment area: Rhode Island

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 76979 in your payment locality →

Diagnostic ultrasound

About 76979: Additional lesion microbubble contrast ultrasound

Reports dynamic microbubble contrast ultrasound assessment of an additional target lesion after the initial lesion is evaluated with the primary code.

This add-on represents contrast-enhanced ultrasound assessment of another distinct target lesion after the initial lesion. A radiologist or other qualified physician uses ultrasound imaging with microbubble contrast to evaluate lesion perfusion and characterize findings; assessment of treatment response may also be part of the examination. Focal liver lesions are a common setting for this technique. The service is typically performed in a hospital imaging department or outpatient diagnostic imaging setting.

Report 76979 for each additional lesion evaluated after the first lesion reported with 76978. The record should identify the separate target lesions and support dynamic contrast assessment of each one. CMS classifies this as an add-on, so it is billed with the primary procedure and paid within that procedure's global period. The diagnostic service may be billed globally or split into its professional interpretation (modifier 26) and technical service (modifier TC); a claim without either modifier represents the global service.

CMS billing rules for 76979

Global period
Add-on code: billed only together with a primary procedure and paid within that procedure's global period.
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 RVU0.83 · 26%
  • Practice expense (office) RVU2.31 · 72%
  • Malpractice RVU0.06 · 2%

36

Medicare services in 2024 · #5558 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.

76979 compared with similar codes

Office rates for Rhode Island, from the same CMS release.

76978

Contrast ultrasound

First target lesion

$175.79

76978 is used for the initial target lesion in the dynamic microbubble contrast examination. Use 76979 only for additional distinct lesions in that examination.

76982

Ultrasound elastography

First target lesion

$95.11

76982 evaluates an initial target lesion using elastography. Choose it for that technique, not for dynamic microbubble contrast assessment.

76983

Ultrasound elastography

Each additional target lesion

$62.39

76983 is the additional-lesion code for targeted elastography. 76979 instead represents additional lesions assessed with microbubble contrast.

76942

Ultrasound needle guidance

Biopsy, aspiration, injection, or localization

$65.75

76942 reports ultrasound guidance for a needle procedure such as biopsy. 76979 represents contrast-based lesion characterization, not needle guidance.

Compare 76979 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 76979 in Rhode Island.

PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv

8,895

Code
76979
Physician work
0.83
Practice expense
2.31
Malpractice
0.06

GPCI2026.csv

92

Locality
Rhode Island
Physician work
1.019
Practice expense
1.033
Malpractice
0.892
Office / nonfacility calculation for 76979 in Rhode Island
ComponentRVULocality factorAdjusted
Physician work0.83× 1.0190.8458
Practice expense2.31× 1.0332.3862
Malpractice0.06× 0.8920.0535
Total RVUs3.2855
Conversion factor× 33.4009

Office / nonfacility rate, Rhode Island$109.74

Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula

Office / nonfacility

Office / nonfacility calculation inputs
ComponentRVULocal GPCI
Work0.831.019
Practice expense2.311.033
Malpractice0.060.892

(0.83 × 1.019 + 2.31 × 1.033 + 0.06 × 0.892) × $33.4009 = $109.74

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.

76979 billing questions

When should 76979 be reported instead of 76978?

Use 76978 for the initial target lesion. Report 76979 for each additional distinct lesion assessed with the same dynamic microbubble contrast technique.

Which primary code must accompany 76979?

Report 76979 with 76978, which represents assessment of the initial target lesion. The add-on code is not reported by itself.

Can 76979 be reported for repeated imaging of the same lesion?

The add-on represents an additional lesion, not another pass or image set of the initial lesion. Documentation should distinguish each additional target assessed.

How are the professional and technical services billed?

Bill modifier 26 for the professional interpretation or modifier TC for the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.

How does 76979 differ from 76983?

76979 represents an additional lesion evaluated with dynamic microbubble contrast. 76983 represents an additional target assessed with ultrasound elastography, a different imaging technique.

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 76979PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 8,895 (RVU26D)
Geographic factors for Rhode IslandGPCI2026.csv, line 92 (RVU26D)
Open CMS sourceHow this rate is calculatedBuild a fee sheet