$238.50
Both are in the parathyroid imaging family. For 78071, the descriptor specifically covers planar imaging with or without subtraction; verify the documented service against the applicable descriptor for 78070.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
78071 Parathyroid imaging Medicare reimbursement rates in Tennessee
Reports planar nuclear imaging of the parathyroid glands, with or without subtraction, to help localize abnormal gland tissue in patients with suspected hyperparathyroidism. Compare 78071 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Tennessee.
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 78071 in Tennessee?
Tennessee 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
$283.64
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Tennessee
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.
Nuclear medicine
About 78071: Parathyroid planar scan with subtraction
Reports planar nuclear imaging of the parathyroid glands, with or without subtraction, to help localize abnormal gland tissue in patients with suspected hyperparathyroidism.
This service uses radiotracer imaging to evaluate the parathyroid glands, commonly when laboratory findings suggest hyperparathyroidism and localization is needed before a possible operation. The study uses planar images and may use subtraction to help distinguish parathyroid activity from nearby thyroid tissue. Nuclear medicine technologists acquire the images; a radiologist or nuclear medicine physician interprets them, usually in an imaging department or hospital.
Report 78071 for the planar parathyroid study, whether subtraction is performed or not. The record should support the clinical indication and identify the imaging protocol and interpretation. When the study includes SPECT with CT, consider the distinct code 78072 rather than this planar service. Medicare recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies equipment and staff, and billing without either modifier represents the global service.
CMS billing rules for 78071
- 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 RVU1.17 · 13%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.99 · 86%
- Malpractice RVU0.11 · 1%
6K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1759 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.
78071 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Tennessee, from the same CMS release.
$351.50
78072 describes parathyroid imaging that includes SPECT with CT. Report 78071 for the planar study with or without subtraction.
78099
No office rateUnlisted endocrine px dx nuc
78099 is an unlisted endocrine nuclear medicine diagnostic code. Use 78071 when the service is the specified planar parathyroid study.
Compare 78071 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
Tennessee →
Office / nonfacility
$283.64
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 78071 in Tennessee.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
9,203
- Code
- 78071
- Physician work
- 1.17
- Practice expense
- 7.99
- Malpractice
- 0.11
GPCI2026.csv
95
- Locality
- Tennessee
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.909
- Malpractice
- 0.537
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.17 | × 1.000 | 1.1700 |
| Practice expense | 7.99 | × 0.909 | 7.2629 |
| Malpractice | 0.11 | × 0.537 | 0.0591 |
| Total RVUs | 8.4920 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Tennessee$283.64
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.17 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 7.99 | 0.909 |
| Malpractice | 0.11 | 0.537 |
(1.17 × 1 + 7.99 × 0.909 + 0.11 × 0.537) × $33.4009 = $283.64
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.
78071 billing questions
How does 78071 differ from 78070?
78071 specifically describes planar parathyroid imaging with or without subtraction. Check the documented procedure and applicable code descriptors when distinguishing it from 78070.
When should 78072 be reported instead?
Use 78072 when the parathyroid study includes SPECT with CT. A planar study with or without subtraction is described by 78071.
Can the professional and technical services be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 reports the professional interpretation, and modifier TC reports the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
What documentation supports 78071?
Document the clinical reason for evaluating the parathyroid glands, the planar imaging protocol, whether subtraction was performed, and the interpreting physician's findings.
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.
9,20078070,,Parathyroid planar imaging,A,,0.78,6.95,,6.95,NA,0.08,7.81,7.81,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,12.42,12.42,0.11
9,20178070,26,Parathyroid planar imaging,A,,0.78,0.27,,0.27,,0.04,1.09,1.09,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,20278070,TC,Parathyroid planar imaging,A,,0.00,6.68,,6.68,NA,0.04,6.72,6.72,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,12.15,12.15,0.07
9,20378071,,Parathyrd planar w/wo subtrj,A,,1.17,7.99,,7.99,NA,0.11,9.27,9.27,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,12.54,12.54,0.14
9,20478071,26,Parathyrd planar w/wo subtrj,A,,1.17,0.39,,0.39,,0.06,1.62,1.62,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,20578071,TC,Parathyrd planar w/wo subtrj,A,,0.00,7.60,,7.60,NA,0.05,7.65,7.65,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,12.15,12.15,0.08
9,20678072,,Parathyrd planar w/spect&ct,A,,1.56,9.79,,9.79,NA,0.12,11.47,11.47,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,17.01,17.01,0.16
9214412,RI,01,RHODE ISLAND,1.019,1.033,0.892
9311202,SC,01,SOUTH CAROLINA,1.000,0.924,0.850
9403402,SD,02,SOUTH DAKOTA**,1.000,1.000,0.336
9510312,TN,35,TENNESSEE,1.000,0.909,0.537
9604412,TX,31,AUSTIN,1.002,1.058,0.886
9704412,TX,20,BEAUMONT,1.000,0.910,0.929
9804412,TX,09,BRAZORIA,1.008,0.991,0.780