Imaging

70450 - RVUs & Medicare payment (2026)

CT head/brain without contrast.

Component	Non-facility	Facility
Work RVU	0.83	0.83
Practice expense RVU	2.30	2.30
Malpractice RVU	0.06	0.06
Total RVUs	3.19	3.19
National payment (CF $33.4009)	$106.55	$106.55
Qualifying APM payment (CF $33.5675)	$107.08	$107.08

How 70450 payment varies by locality

Medicare adjusts payment with geographic practice cost indices, so the same code pays differently across the 109 fee schedule localities. In 2026, non-facility payment for 70450 ranges from $94.74 in Arkansas (AR) to $142.62 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA); calculate 70450 for your locality.

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $142.62 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $142.35 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $139.60 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $139.53 Napa (CA) $131.74 Vallejo (CA) $131.64 Seattle (WA) $125.01 NYC Suburbs/Long Island (NY) $124.56 National average $106.55 … 97 more localities between … Alabama (AL) $96.08 Rest Of Missouri (MO) $95.90 Mississippi (MS) $95.35 Arkansas (AR) $94.74

Non-facility payment for 70450 in the 2026 fee schedule ($33.4009 conversion factor), before sequestration. Gray bar = national average.

Global period: XXX

No global period: the global surgery concept does not apply to this code.

Professional / technical split

70450 can be billed globally or split: modifier 26 for the professional component (interpretation) and TC for the technical component (equipment and staff).

Billing	Total RVUs (non-facility)	National payment
70450-26	1.18	$39.41
70450-TC	2.01	$67.14

Related codes - imaging

71045 · chest x-ray, single view
71046 · chest x-ray, 2 views
70553 · mri brain without and with contrast
72100 · lumbar spine x-ray, 2-3 views
72148 · mri lumbar spine without contrast
73030 · shoulder x-ray, complete
73721 · mri lower-extremity joint without contrast
74177 · ct abdomen and pelvis with contrast
76700 · ultrasound, abdomen, complete
76805 · obstetric ultrasound, after first trimester
76856 · pelvic ultrasound, complete
77067 · screening mammography, bilateral
77066 · diagnostic mammography, bilateral

Frequently asked questions

How much does Medicare pay for 70450 in 2026?

The national non-facility payment is $106.55 and the facility payment is $106.55, using the standard $33.4009 conversion factor. Actual amounts vary by Medicare locality; use the RVU calculator for your area.

What is the work RVU for 70450?

The 2026 work RVU for 70450 is 0.83. Total RVUs are 3.19 in the non-facility setting and 3.19 in the facility setting.

Why are the facility and non-facility amounts different?

Only the practice expense component changes by setting. In an office (non-facility) the practice bears the overhead, so the PE RVU is higher; in a hospital or ASC the facility bills its own overhead separately.

Source: CMS Physician Fee Schedule relative value file (rvu26c.zip, retrieved 2026-07-11). Service description is an original plain-English summary, not CPT descriptor text. CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. Amounts are estimates before sequestration and claim-level adjustments.