Billing code 78102: Bone marrow imagingMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
A limited-field radionuclide bone marrow scan used to assess marrow distribution in a defined region rather than multiple regions or the whole body.
Medicare pays $144.83–$165.03 for 78102 in the office in Texas, from Beaumont to Austin. 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 78102 covers
78102 represents a limited-field radionuclide bone marrow study, rather than imaging several separate regions or surveying the entire body. Nuclear medicine staff administer a marrow-localizing radiopharmaceutical and acquire gamma-camera images of the specified region; a nuclear medicine physician interprets the marrow distribution and any abnormalities. The study may be used to evaluate a focused question about marrow activity. The record should identify the imaged region and the clinical reason for the examination.
Choose this code by the extent actually imaged: a limited area supports 78102, multiple areas support 78103, and whole-body imaging supports 78104. The imaging record and interpretation should substantiate the study’s scope and findings. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: report modifier 26 for interpretation only, modifier TC for equipment and staff only, or neither modifier when billing the global service. The interpreting physician and the entity performing the acquisition may bill their respective components.
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.
Where 78102 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 payment localities
$144.83 to $165.03
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $165.03 | Unavailable |
| Beaumont | $144.83 | Unavailable |
| Brazoria | $155.72 | Unavailable |
| Dallas | $156.60 | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | $155.26 | Unavailable |
| Galveston | $156.10 | Unavailable |
| Houston | $157.38 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | $150.11 | Unavailable |
How the 78102 rate is calculated
Each of 78102’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 · 78102
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.54
0.54 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense4.10
4.10 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.07
0.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
4.7100
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$157.32
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 78102
The CMS indicators that decide how 78102 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 78102
Bone marrow imaging
| 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
78102 without 26 · national office
$157.32
Bone marrow imaging
78102-26 · Professional component
$24.72
Pays only the interpretation and report.
78102 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 78103Bone marrow imaging
- Use 78103 when the examination covers multiple areas. A study confined to a limited area is reported with 78102.
- 78104Bone marrow imaging
- Use 78104 for whole-body bone marrow imaging; 78102 represents a limited-field examination.
- 78306Bone imaging
- 78306 is whole-body skeletal imaging, not a limited-field bone marrow study. Select based on whether the examination evaluates skeletal uptake or marrow distribution.
78102 billing questions
How is 78102 distinguished from 78103 and 78104?
Choose 78102 for imaging of a limited area. Use 78103 for multiple areas and 78104 for whole-body imaging; the documented scope of the study drives the choice.
When should modifier 26 or TC be reported?
Use modifier 26 when billing only the physician’s interpretation and modifier TC when billing only the technical service. Bill the global service without either component modifier.
What documentation supports 78102?
Document the clinical reason, the specific region imaged, the technical acquisition, and the physician’s interpretation. The record should support that the examination was limited in scope.
Are units based on the number of images?
The distinction among 78102, 78103, and 78104 is the extent of the examination, not a count of individual images. Report the code that matches the documented area or areas imaged.
Can the professional and technical services be billed separately?
Yes. The interpreting physician may report the professional component with modifier 26, while the entity furnishing the equipment and staff may report the technical component with modifier TC.
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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