$102.26
76978 is for the first target lesion; 76979 is for each additional lesion in the same dynamic microbubble contrast service.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
76978 Contrast ultrasound Medicare reimbursement rates in Wisconsin
Reports dynamic microbubble contrast ultrasound characterization of a target lesion, including evaluation of enhancement and washout, for the first lesion examined. Compare 76978 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Wisconsin.
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 76978 in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin 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
$164.20
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Wisconsin
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Diagnostic ultrasound
About 76978: Targeted microbubble contrast ultrasound, first lesion
Reports dynamic microbubble contrast ultrasound characterization of a target lesion, including evaluation of enhancement and washout, for the first lesion examined.
This service uses ultrasound with an injected microbubble contrast agent to assess a target lesion dynamically, including its perfusion pattern and contrast washout. It is commonly used to characterize indeterminate focal findings, such as a liver lesion, when contrast-enhanced ultrasound can provide information about vascular behavior. Imaging staff acquire the study, and a qualified physician interprets the findings and produces a report. It may be performed in a hospital or outpatient imaging setting.
Report 76978 for the first target lesion; code 76979 is used for each additional lesion when the service meets that code’s requirements. The record should identify the target lesion and document the dynamic contrast assessment and interpretation. The professional component may be reported with modifier 26, the technical component with modifier TC, or the global service without either modifier. The diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to both the technical and professional components.
CMS billing rules for 76978
- 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 RVU1.58 · 31%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.45 · 67%
- Malpractice RVU0.10 · 2%
828
Medicare services in 2024 · #3117 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.
76978 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Wisconsin, from the same CMS release.
$88.58
76982 is targeted ultrasound elastography for a first lesion, assessing tissue stiffness rather than microbubble contrast perfusion and washout.
$61.48
76942 reports ultrasound guidance for a needle procedure such as biopsy. 76978 reports dynamic contrast characterization of the lesion, not needle guidance.
Compare 76978 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
Wisconsin →
Office / nonfacility
$164.20
Facility
Unavailable
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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 76978 in Wisconsin.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
8,892
- Code
- 76978
- Physician work
- 1.58
- Practice expense
- 3.45
- Malpractice
- 0.10
GPCI2026.csv
111
- Locality
- Wisconsin
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.958
- Malpractice
- 0.308
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.58 | × 1.000 | 1.5800 |
| Practice expense | 3.45 | × 0.958 | 3.3051 |
| Malpractice | 0.10 | × 0.308 | 0.0308 |
| Total RVUs | 4.9159 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Wisconsin$164.20
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.58 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 3.45 | 0.958 |
| Malpractice | 0.1 | 0.308 |
(1.58 × 1 + 3.45 × 0.958 + 0.1 × 0.308) × $33.4009 = $164.20
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.
76978 billing questions
When is 76978 reported instead of 76979?
Use 76978 for the first target lesion examined with dynamic microbubble contrast characterization. Use 76979 for each additional lesion when applicable.
Can the professional and technical services be billed separately?
Yes. Report modifier 26 for the interpretation and report, or modifier TC for equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
Does the multiple procedure reduction affect both components?
Yes. CMS applies the diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction to both the technical and professional components.
Is this code for ultrasound-guided biopsy?
No. 76978 describes dynamic microbubble contrast characterization of a lesion, not imaging guidance for a needle biopsy. Code 76942 describes ultrasound guidance for biopsy.
What documentation supports reporting the service?
Document the target lesion, the dynamic contrast assessment, and the physician’s interpretation and report. Identify additional lesions separately when reporting 76979.
Are contrast-agent supplies included in 76978?
The CPT service describes the contrast-enhanced examination. If billing the contrast-agent supply separately, use the applicable HCPCS code for the agent administered and follow the relevant coverage and billing requirements.
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.
8,88976977,,Us bone density measure,A,,0.05,0.16,,0.16,NA,0.02,0.23,0.23,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.00,3.00,0.22
8,89076977,26,Us bone density measure,A,,0.05,0.02,,0.02,,0.01,0.08,0.08,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,89176977,TC,Us bone density measure,A,,0.00,0.14,,0.14,NA,0.01,0.15,0.15,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,2.98,2.98,0.21
8,89276978,,Us trgt dyn mbubb 1st les,A,,1.58,3.45,,3.45,NA,0.10,5.13,5.13,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,89376978,26,Us trgt dyn mbubb 1st les,A,,1.58,0.57,,0.57,,0.08,2.23,2.23,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,89476978,TC,Us trgt dyn mbubb 1st les,A,,0.00,2.88,,2.88,NA,0.02,2.90,2.90,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,03,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,89576979,,Us trgt dyn mbubb ea addl,A,,0.83,2.31,,2.31,NA,0.06,3.20,3.20,1,ZZZ,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
10802402,WA,02,SEATTLE (KING CNTY),1.050,1.227,0.817
10902402,WA,99,REST OF WASHINGTON,1.013,1.053,0.761
11011402,WV,16,WEST VIRGINIA,1.000,0.869,1.431
11106302,WI,00,WISCONSIN,1.000,0.958,0.308
11203602,WY,21,WYOMING**,1.000,1.000,0.740
113"MAC Assignments as of November 22, 2023",,,,,,
114,,,,,,