$152.92
Both cover contrast radiography of the brain and skull; 70015 is distinguished by stereoscopic technique, which should be documented.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
70010 Brain radiography Medicare reimbursement rates in Utah
Contrast radiography of the brain and skull is reported for a conventional X-ray examination using contrast, rather than CT or MRI imaging. Compare 70010 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Utah.
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 70010 in Utah?
Utah 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
No supported rate
Facility setting
$48.64
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Utah
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Radiology
About 70010: Contrast radiographic brain examination
Contrast radiography of the brain and skull is reported for a conventional X-ray examination using contrast, rather than CT or MRI imaging.
This service covers conventional radiographic imaging of the brain and skull after contrast is introduced to make intracranial structures visible on X-rays. A classic example is ventriculography, in which contrast outlines the brain’s ventricular system. The study is performed in a radiology setting; a radiologist interprets the images, and an appropriately trained clinician may perform the access or contrast introduction for an invasive study.
Select 70010 for the contrast brain/skull examination actually performed, not simply because contrast was used in another imaging modality. The distinction from 70015 is the documented use of stereoscopic technique. The report should identify the radiographic study and contrast technique; for a ventriculogram, documentation should also support that study. CMS assigns work, practice-expense, and malpractice RVUs to the service, with practice-expense values represented for office and facility settings.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.16 · 78%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.21 · 14%
- Malpractice RVU0.11 · 7%
32
Medicare services in 2024 · #5632 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.
70010 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Utah, from the same CMS release.
Compare 70010 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
Utah →
Office / nonfacility
Unavailable
Facility
$48.64
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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 70010 in Utah.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
7,678
- Code
- 70010
- Physician work
- 1.16
- Practice expense
- 0.21
- Malpractice
- 0.11
GPCI2026.csv
104
- Locality
- Utah
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.940
- Malpractice
- 0.898
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.16 | × 1.000 | 1.1600 |
| Practice expense | 0.21 | × 0.940 | 0.1974 |
| Malpractice | 0.11 | × 0.898 | 0.0988 |
| Total RVUs | 1.4562 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Facility rate, Utah$48.64
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Facility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.16 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 0.21 | 0.94 |
| Malpractice | 0.11 | 0.898 |
(1.16 × 1 + 0.21 × 0.94 + 0.11 × 0.898) × $33.4009 = $48.64
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.
70010 billing questions
How do I distinguish 70010 from 70015?
Use 70010 for the contrast brain/skull radiographic examination without the stereoscopic technique specified for 70015. The imaging report should support the technique billed.
Can I report 70010 for a contrast MRI or CT of the brain?
No. This code is for conventional contrast radiography of the brain and skull, not CT or MRI.
What documentation supports 70010?
The report should identify the brain/skull radiographic examination and its contrast technique. For ventriculography, the record should identify the ventricular study.
Should 70010 and 70015 both be reported for one examination?
Choose the code that matches the technique performed. Do not report both merely because the examination used contrast.
Is 70010 a professional interpretation code for MRI?
No. It describes a contrast radiographic brain/skull study; it is not an MRI interpretation code.
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.
7,67569970,,Remove inner ear lesion,A,,31.60,18.95,NA,18.95,,4.61,55.16,55.16,0,090,0.07,0.79,0.14,2,1,2,1,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,67669979,,Unlisted px temporal bone,C,,0.00,0.00,,0.00,,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,YYY,0.00,0.00,0.00,2,1,0,1,1,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,67769990,,Microsurgery add-on,R,,3.37,1.17,NA,1.17,,1.39,5.93,5.93,0,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,2,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,67870010,,Contrast x-ray of brain,A,,1.16,0.21,NA,0.21,,0.11,1.48,1.48,0,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,67970015,,Contrast x-ray of brain,A,,1.16,3.56,,3.56,NA,0.08,4.80,4.80,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,24.31,24.31,0.15
7,68070015,26,Contrast x-ray of brain,A,,1.16,0.41,,0.41,,0.07,1.64,1.64,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,68170015,TC,Contrast x-ray of brain,A,,0.00,3.15,,3.15,NA,0.01,3.16,3.16,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,03,0,99,23.90,23.90,0.08
10104412,TX,15,GALVESTON,1.008,0.993,0.828
10204412,TX,18,HOUSTON,1.008,0.993,1.376
10304412,TX,99,REST OF TEXAS,1.000,0.949,0.903
10403502,UT,09,UTAH,1.000,0.940,0.898
10514512,VT,50,VERMONT,1.000,0.990,0.506
10611302,VA,00,VIRGINIA,1.000,0.983,0.706
10709202,VI,50,VIRGIN ISLANDS,1.000,1.011,0.985