$238.50
78070 represents planar parathyroid imaging. Choose 78072 when the study also includes SPECT and CT.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
78072 Parathyroid imaging Medicare reimbursement rates in Tennessee
Reports parathyroid planar imaging combined with SPECT and CT, commonly used to localize abnormal parathyroid tissue during hyperparathyroidism evaluation. Compare 78072 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 78072 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
$351.50
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 78072: Parathyroid SPECT/CT imaging
Reports parathyroid planar imaging combined with SPECT and CT, commonly used to localize abnormal parathyroid tissue during hyperparathyroidism evaluation.
This nuclear medicine study combines planar images with SPECT and CT to help localize abnormal parathyroid tissue, including glands that may be ectopic. It is commonly performed with technetium-99m sestamibi during evaluation of hyperparathyroidism, often to guide surgical planning. Nuclear medicine technologists acquire the images, and a radiologist or nuclear medicine physician interprets them. The study may be performed in a hospital or an imaging center equipped for SPECT/CT.
Select this code when the documented parathyroid examination includes planar imaging, SPECT, and CT; a planar-only study or one without CT belongs to a different level in the code family. The record should support the imaging performed and the interpreting physician’s findings. Medicare recognizes professional and technical components: report modifier 26 for interpretation, modifier TC for equipment and staff, or neither modifier when billing the global service.
CMS billing rules for 78072
- 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 RVU1.56 · 14%
- Practice expense (office) RVU9.79 · 85%
- Malpractice RVU0.12 · 1%
12.5K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1362 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.
78072 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Tennessee, from the same CMS release.
$283.64
78071 includes SPECT with planar parathyroid imaging but does not include CT. The CT component distinguishes 78072.
78099
No office rateUnlisted endocrine px dx nuc
78099 is for an unlisted endocrine nuclear medicine diagnostic procedure when no specific code fits; use 78072 for the defined parathyroid SPECT/CT study.
Compare 78072 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
$351.50
Facility
Unavailable
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
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 78072 in Tennessee.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
9,206
- Code
- 78072
- Physician work
- 1.56
- Practice expense
- 9.79
- Malpractice
- 0.12
GPCI2026.csv
95
- Locality
- Tennessee
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.909
- Malpractice
- 0.537
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.56 | × 1.000 | 1.5600 |
| Practice expense | 9.79 | × 0.909 | 8.8991 |
| Malpractice | 0.12 | × 0.537 | 0.0644 |
| Total RVUs | 10.5236 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Tennessee$351.50
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.56 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 9.79 | 0.909 |
| Malpractice | 0.12 | 0.537 |
(1.56 × 1 + 9.79 × 0.909 + 0.12 × 0.537) × $33.4009 = $351.50
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.
78072 billing questions
When should 78072 be selected instead of 78071?
Use 78072 when the parathyroid study includes planar imaging, SPECT, and CT. The distinguishing feature from 78071 is the CT component.
How does 78072 differ from 78070?
78070 is the planar-imaging level. Use 78072 when the documented study also includes SPECT and CT.
Can the professional and technical portions be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
What documentation supports reporting 78072?
The record should show that planar imaging, SPECT, and CT were performed for the parathyroid examination, with an interpretation documenting the findings.
Is this code used for parathyroid localization in hyperparathyroidism?
Yes. A common clinical use is localizing abnormal parathyroid tissue during hyperparathyroidism evaluation, including imaging to support surgical planning.
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.
9,20378071,,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
9,20778072,26,Parathyrd planar w/spect&ct,A,,1.56,0.49,,0.49,,0.07,2.12,2.12,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
9,20878072,TC,Parathyrd planar w/spect&ct,A,,0.00,9.30,,9.30,NA,0.05,9.35,9.35,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,16.52,16.52,0.09
9,20978075,,Adrenal cortex & medulla img,A,,0.72,10.77,,10.77,NA,0.11,11.60,11.60,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,39.60,39.60,0.30
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