Imaging

76856 - RVUs & Medicare payment (2026)

Pelvic ultrasound, complete.

Component	Non-facility	Facility
Work RVU	0.67	0.67
Practice expense RVU	2.43	2.43
Malpractice RVU	0.05	0.05
Total RVUs	3.15	3.15
National payment (CF $33.4009)	$105.21	$105.21
Qualifying APM payment (CF $33.5675)	$105.74	$105.74

How 76856 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 76856 ranges from $92.96 in Arkansas (AR) to $142.77 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA); calculate 76856 for your locality.

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $142.77 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $142.54 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $139.71 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $139.66 Napa (CA) $131.61 Vallejo (CA) $131.53 Seattle (WA) $124.45 Santa Rosa-Petaluma (CA) $123.61 National average $105.21 … 97 more localities between … Alabama (AL) $94.34 Rest Of Missouri (MO) $93.97 Mississippi (MS) $93.50 Arkansas (AR) $92.96

Non-facility payment for 76856 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

76856 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
76856-26	0.97	$32.40
76856-TC	2.18	$72.81

Related codes - imaging

71045 · chest x-ray, single view
71046 · chest x-ray, 2 views
70450 · ct head/brain without contrast
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
77067 · screening mammography, bilateral
77066 · diagnostic mammography, bilateral

Frequently asked questions

How much does Medicare pay for 76856 in 2026?

The national non-facility payment is $105.21 and the facility payment is $105.21, 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 76856?

The 2026 work RVU for 76856 is 0.67. Total RVUs are 3.15 in the non-facility setting and 3.15 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.