Billing code 70336: Jaw joint MRIMedicare rate & RVUs in Utah
MRI of the temporomandibular joint evaluates joint structures when symptoms such as persistent jaw pain, locking, or restricted opening need imaging assessment.
Medicare pays $246.40 for 70336 in the office in Utah (Utah). 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 70336 covers
This service uses magnetic resonance imaging to assess the temporomandibular joint, particularly soft-tissue structures such as the articular disc. It may be ordered for a patient with persistent joint pain, clicking or locking, or limited jaw opening when the clinical question concerns internal joint derangement. A technologist performs the scan, and a radiologist or other qualified physician interprets the images. Dentists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, and physicians may request the study as part of evaluating jaw-joint symptoms.
The record should support the imaging indication and include the interpreted findings. Medicare allows the service to be billed globally when one supplier provides both the equipment and staff and the interpretation, or split into a technical component with modifier TC and a professional interpretation with modifier 26. The code is priced as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. When other diagnostic imaging procedures are reported, the multiple-procedure reduction applies to both the technical and professional 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.
70336 in Utah
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Utah | $246.40 | Unavailable |
How the 70336 rate is calculated
Each of 70336’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 · 70336
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.44Practice expense 6.23Malpractice 0.09
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 70336
The CMS indicators that decide how 70336 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 70336
Jaw joint MRI
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 4 | Diagnostic imaging reduction applies to the technical component (and professional component) of additional services. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 2 | Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%. |
| 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
70336 without 26 · national office
$259.19
Jaw joint MRI
70336-26 · Professional component
$66.80
Pays only the interpretation and report.
70336 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
70336 vs 70328 vs 70330 vs 70332: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 70328Jaw joint X-ray
- Use 70328 for radiographic examination of one temporomandibular joint. This code describes MRI rather than radiography.
- 70330TMJ X-ray
- Use 70330 for radiographic examination of both temporomandibular joints. This code describes MRI and is priced as bilateral.
- 70332TMJ imaging
- Use 70332 for a radiographic TMJ examination with arthrography. This code is for MRI of the joint.
70336 billing questions
How does this differ from TMJ radiography?
This code is for MRI, which assesses joint soft tissues such as the articular disc. Codes 70328 and 70330 describe radiographic examinations of the joint instead.
Can the technical and professional services be billed separately?
Yes. Report modifier TC for the equipment and staff portion and modifier 26 for the interpretation; billing without either modifier represents the global service.
Does modifier 50 increase payment?
No. CMS prices this code as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment.
What documentation supports reporting the MRI?
Document the jaw-joint symptoms or clinical question prompting imaging and retain the imaging interpretation describing the findings.
How does Medicare handle multiple imaging procedures?
The diagnostic imaging multiple-procedure reduction applies to both the professional and technical components when applicable.
When is code 70332 a better fit?
Code 70332 describes radiographic examination of the temporomandibular joint with arthrography. Use this code for the MRI service rather than that arthrographic study.
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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