$223.61–$255.23
70544 is for head MR angiography without contrast. Choose 70546 when the head study includes both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced imaging.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
70546 Head MR angiography Medicare reimbursement rates in Washington
MR angiography of the head with image acquisition before and after contrast is reported to evaluate intracranial vessels, including suspected aneurysm or stenosis. Compare 70546 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Washington.
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 70546 in Washington?
Washington has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$341.93–$391.89
2 of 2 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.
Radiology
About 70546: Head MR angiography without and with contrast
MR angiography of the head with image acquisition before and after contrast is reported to evaluate intracranial vessels, including suspected aneurysm or stenosis.
This study uses magnetic resonance angiography to depict blood vessels within the head, with image acquisition both before and after contrast administration. It may be ordered to assess suspected intracranial aneurysm, narrowing or blockage, or a vascular malformation. A technologist performs the imaging in a hospital or outpatient imaging center, and a radiologist interprets the resulting images and provides a report. The study focuses on intracranial vessels, not the brain tissue examination reported for a standard brain MRI.
Select this code when the documented head angiography protocol includes both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced imaging; do not report it merely because contrast was planned if the performed study does not include both phases. The report and imaging record should support the head as the anatomic region and the two-part contrast protocol. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies interpretation, modifier TC identifies equipment and staff, and no component modifier represents the global service. The diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to both the technical and professional components.
CMS billing rules for 70546
- 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 RVU1.44 · 15%
- Practice expense (office) RVU8.25 · 84%
- Malpractice RVU0.12 · 1%
23.5K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1074 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.
70546 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Washington, from the same CMS release.
$235.92–$269.58
70545 represents head MR angiography with contrast. Choose 70546 when the protocol also includes a noncontrast acquisition.
$357.94–$409.12
70549 covers MR angiography of the neck without and with contrast; 70546 is for intracranial vessels in the head.
$329.23–$373.55
70553 is a brain MRI without and with contrast, rather than an angiographic study focused on head vessels.
Compare 70546 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Rest Of Washington →
Office / nonfacility
$341.93
Facility
Unavailable
Seattle (King Cnty) →
Office / nonfacility
$391.89
Facility
Unavailable
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70546 billing questions
When should this code be chosen over 70544 or 70545?
Use 70546 when the head MR angiography includes both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced imaging. 70544 describes the noncontrast protocol, while 70545 describes the contrast protocol.
Can the noncontrast and contrast phases be reported separately?
Report the combined study once with 70546 when both phases are performed as the head MR angiography exam. Do not bill a separate code for each phase of that exam.
How should the professional and technical services be billed?
Use modifier 26 for the radiologist's interpretation and report, or modifier TC for the equipment and staff service. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
Does the multiple procedure reduction affect both components?
Yes. CMS applies the diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction to both the professional and technical components.
What documentation supports reporting 70546?
The imaging record and radiology report should identify intracranial vessels as the target and support acquisition both without and with contrast.
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.
7,84170545,,Mr angiography head w/dye,A,,1.17,5.51,,5.51,NA,0.10,6.78,6.78,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,11.02,11.02,0.13
7,84270545,26,Mr angiography head w/dye,A,,1.17,0.41,,0.41,,0.07,1.65,1.65,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,84370545,TC,Mr angiography head w/dye,A,,0.00,5.10,,5.10,NA,0.03,5.13,5.13,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,10.61,10.61,0.06
7,84470546,,Mr angiograph head w/o&w/dye,A,,1.44,8.25,,8.25,NA,0.12,9.81,9.81,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,11.13,11.13,0.14
7,84570546,26,Mr angiograph head w/o&w/dye,A,,1.44,0.51,,0.51,,0.08,2.03,2.03,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,84670546,TC,Mr angiograph head w/o&w/dye,A,,0.00,7.74,,7.74,NA,0.04,7.78,7.78,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,10.62,10.62,0.06
7,84770547,,Mr angiography neck w/o dye,A,,1.17,5.16,,5.16,NA,0.10,6.43,6.43,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,7.66,7.66,0.12