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78831 Rp loclzj tum spect 2 areas

What 78831 is

CMS fee schedule short descriptor: Rp loclzj tum spect 2 areas.

Full CPT long descriptions are licensed by the American Medical Association and are not published on this site; the short descriptor above is the one CMS prints in its own fee schedule file. See About CPT.

Medicare payment for 78831 (CY2026)

Work RVUPractice expense RVUMalpractice RVUTotalMedicare rate
Non-facility (office)1.7716.720.1618.65$622.93
Facility (hospital, ASC)1.7716.720.1618.65$622.93

National rates: total RVUs x the CY2026 conversion factor of 33.4009 (non-QP), before geographic adjustment. Actual Medicare payment is 80% of the rate shown after the deductible; the patient or secondary payer owes the 20% coinsurance.


Status: Active - payable under the Physician Fee Schedule. Global period: Global concept does not apply.

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Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE)

Medicare caps 78831 at 1 unit per date of service for practitioner claims (MAI 2 - date of service edit (absolute): units above the MUE never pay), rationale: Code Descriptor / CPT Instruction. Units above the cap are denied unless the edit's adjudication rules allow an appeal with documentation.

Billed with 78831? These codes are bundled into it

78831 is a Column 1 code in 46 active NCCI PTP edits. When one of these Column 2 codes is reported on the same date of service, it is denied as bundled - unless the edit's modifier indicator is 1 and documentation supports a distinct service with an NCCI-associated modifier.

Column 2 codeShort descriptionModifier indicator
01922Anes n-invas img/radj ther0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
0395THdr elctr ntrst/ntrcv brchtx1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0694T3d vol img&rcnstj brst/ax1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0708TId ca immntx prep & 1st njx1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0709TId ca immntx each addl njx1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
0898TN-invas prst8 cancer est map1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
36000Place needle in vein1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
36005Injection ext venography1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
36011Place catheter in vein1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
36406Vnpnxr<3yrs phy/qhp other vn1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
36410Vnpnxr 3yr/> phy/qhp dx/ther1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
36591Draw blood off venous device0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
36592Collect blood from picc0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
75571Ct hrt w/o dye w/ca test1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
76000Fluoroscopy <1 hr phys/qhp1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
763763d render w/intrp postproces1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
763773d render w/intrp postproces1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
76380Cat scan follow-up study1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
76942Echo guide for biopsy1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
76998Us guide intraop1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
77001Fluoroguide for vein device1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
77002Needle localization by xray1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
77767Hdr rdncl skn surf brachytx1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
77789Apply surf ldr radionuclide1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
77790Radiation handling0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
78185Spleen imaging1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
78195Lymph system imaging1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
78201Liver imaging static only1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
78215Lvr&spleen img static only1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
78445Vascular flow imaging0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair

Showing 30 of 46 column 2 codes. Use the pair checker for any specific combination.

78831 is bundled into these codes

78831 appears as a Column 2 code in 30 active edits. Reported with one of these Column 1 codes on the same date of service, 78831 is the code that denies.

Column 1 codeShort descriptionModifier indicator
71270Ct thorax dx c-/c+0Check pair
71271Ct thorax lung cancer scr c-0Check pair
71275Ct angiography chest1Check pair
75572Ct hrt w/3d image1Check pair
75573Ct hrt c+ strux cgen hrt ds1Check pair
75574Ct angio hrt w/3d image1Check pair
77301Radiotherapy dose plan imrt1Check pair
77750Infuse radioactive materials1Check pair
77761Apply intrcav radiat simple1Check pair
77762Apply intrcav radiat interm1Check pair
77763Apply intrcav radiat compl1Check pair
77768Hdr rdncl skn surf brachytx1Check pair
77770Hdr rdncl ntrstl/icav brchtx1Check pair
77771Hdr rdncl ntrstl/icav brchtx1Check pair
77772Hdr rdncl ntrstl/icav brchtx1Check pair

Data: CMS CY2026 Physician Fee Schedule RVU file (October release, RVU26D) and Medicare NCCI PTP practitioner edits v32.3 (2026 Q4). Verify against the official files before billing or contracting decisions.