$99.49–$110.83
70450 is for a head or brain CT without contrast; 70460 is for contrast only.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
70460 Head CT Medicare reimbursement rates in Texas
Reports a CT examination of the head or brain performed with contrast when the clinical question calls for contrast-enhanced intracranial imaging. Compare 70460 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Texas.
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 70460 in Texas?
Texas has 8 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 8 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$138.32–$154.33
8 of 8 localities have a supported rate.
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.
Where 70460 pays more and less in Texas
8 payment localities
$138.32 to $154.33
Diagnostic imaging
About 70460: CT brain with contrast
Reports a CT examination of the head or brain performed with contrast when the clinical question calls for contrast-enhanced intracranial imaging.
This service uses computed tomography to create cross-sectional images of the head or brain after contrast is administered. It is commonly performed in a hospital or outpatient imaging center, with technologists acquiring the study and a radiologist interpreting the images. Clinical questions may include evaluation of a suspected intracranial mass or infection when contrast-enhanced imaging is requested.
Report 70460 when the documented study covers the head or brain and uses contrast only. A report should support the body region examined, contrast protocol, and interpretation; a study performed both before and after contrast belongs to the corresponding combined-protocol code. The service may be billed globally, or its professional interpretation and technical imaging service may be reported separately with modifiers 26 and TC. CMS applies the diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction to both the professional and technical components.
CMS billing rules for 70460
- 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.
- Multiple procedures
- Diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to the technical and professional components.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.10 · 25%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.25 · 73%
- Malpractice RVU0.09 · 2%
18.8K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1170 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.
70460 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Texas, from the same CMS release.
$161.23–$180.22
70470 covers a protocol with images before and after contrast. 70460 covers a contrast-only protocol.
70496
No office rateCt angiography head
70496 is a head CTA focused on vascular structures. 70460 is a contrast-enhanced CT of the head or brain, not a CTA.
Compare 70460 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.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | Office $154.33 | Facility Unavailable |
| Beaumont | Office $138.32 | Facility Unavailable |
| Brazoria | Office $146.96 | Facility Unavailable |
| Dallas | Office $147.77 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | Office $146.72 | Facility Unavailable |
| Galveston | Office $147.32 | Facility Unavailable |
| Houston | Office $148.96 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $142.47 | Facility Unavailable |
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70460 billing questions
When should 70460 be chosen over 70450?
Use 70460 for a head or brain CT performed with contrast only. Use 70450 when the study is performed without contrast.
How does 70460 differ from 70470?
70460 represents a contrast-only study. Choose 70470 when the documented protocol includes images both without and with contrast.
Can the interpretation and scan 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.
Does the imaging multiple procedure reduction affect both components?
Yes. CMS applies the diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction to both the professional and technical components.
Is 70460 the right code for a head CTA?
No. 70460 is a contrast-enhanced head or brain CT, not a CT angiography study. A vascular study should be coded to the applicable CTA service.
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.
7,77870450,,Ct head/brain w/o dye,A,,0.83,2.30,,2.30,NA,0.06,3.19,3.19,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,3.48,3.48,0.07
7,77970450,26,Ct head/brain w/o dye,A,,0.83,0.30,,0.30,,0.05,1.18,1.18,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,78070450,TC,Ct head/brain w/o dye,A,,0.00,2.00,,2.00,NA,0.01,2.01,2.01,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,88,3.18,3.18,0.02
7,78170460,,Ct head/brain w/dye,A,,1.10,3.25,,3.25,NA,0.09,4.44,4.44,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,5.72,5.72,0.11
7,78270460,26,Ct head/brain w/dye,A,,1.10,0.39,,0.39,,0.07,1.56,1.56,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,78370460,TC,Ct head/brain w/dye,A,,0.00,2.86,,2.86,NA,0.02,2.88,2.88,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,5.33,5.33,0.04
7,78470470,,Ct head/brain w/o & w/dye,A,,1.24,3.85,,3.85,NA,0.09,5.18,5.18,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,5.77,5.77,0.10