Imaging

70553 - RVUs & Medicare payment (2026)

MRI brain without and with contrast.

Component	Non-facility	Facility
Work RVU	2.23	2.23
Practice expense RVU	7.10	7.10
Malpractice RVU	0.16	0.16
Total RVUs	9.49	9.49
National payment (CF $33.4009)	$316.97	$316.97
Qualifying APM payment (CF $33.5675)	$318.56	$318.56

How 70553 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 70553 ranges from $280.94 in Arkansas (AR) to $427.51 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA); calculate 70553 for your locality.

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $427.51 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $426.76 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $418.39 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $418.21 Napa (CA) $394.45 Vallejo (CA) $394.19 Seattle (WA) $373.55 NYC Suburbs/Long Island (NY) $371.14 National average $316.97 … 97 more localities between … Alabama (AL) $285.01 Rest Of Missouri (MO) $284.11 Mississippi (MS) $282.62 Arkansas (AR) $280.94

Non-facility payment for 70553 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

70553 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
70553-26	3.15	$105.21
70553-TC	6.34	$211.76

Related codes - imaging

71045 · chest x-ray, single view
71046 · chest x-ray, 2 views
70450 · ct head/brain without 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 70553 in 2026?

The national non-facility payment is $316.97 and the facility payment is $316.97, 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 70553?

The 2026 work RVU for 70553 is 2.23. Total RVUs are 9.49 in the non-facility setting and 9.49 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.