70553 — Mri scan of brain before and after contrast

What the market charges

Across 26,873 negotiated rates, the middle 80% fall between $115 and $1,140, with a median of $324.

What Medicare pays

Medicare allowed an average of $154 for this code, across 1,028,334 services billed by 11,330 providers. At the median, the market charges 2.1 times what Medicare pays for this code.

Where this is billed, and what it costs there

The states billing 70553 most, by Medicare service volume, each compared against the national average of $154. Each links to the providers Mishe lists there.

• California — 1,041 providers billed it, Medicare allowed $189 — 23% above the national average
• Texas — 786 providers billed it, Medicare allowed $153 — 1% below the national average
• New York — 587 providers billed it, Medicare allowed $188 — 22% above the national average
• Florida — 727 providers billed it, Medicare allowed $180 — 17% above the national average
• Massachusetts — 341 providers billed it, Medicare allowed $150 — 3% below the national average
• Illinois — 518 providers billed it, Medicare allowed $132 — 14% below the national average
• Pennsylvania — 484 providers billed it, Medicare allowed $136 — 12% below the national average
• North Carolina — 358 providers billed it, Medicare allowed $141 — 8% below the national average

Claim-editing rules

These are National Correct Coding Initiative procedure-to-procedure edits — the rules a payer applies when deciding whether two codes billed together are both payable.

Codes this one absorbs

Billed together, 70553 is the payable code and these are not separately payable. 34 pairs in total.

• 36000 — a modifier may allow both to be paid
• 36005 — a modifier may allow both to be paid
• 36011 — a modifier may allow both to be paid
• 36406 — a modifier may allow both to be paid
• 36410 — a modifier may allow both to be paid
• 36591 — no modifier can override this edit
• 36592 — no modifier can override this edit
• 61715 — a modifier may allow both to be paid
• 70544 — a modifier may allow both to be paid
• 70545 — a modifier may allow both to be paid
• 70546 — a modifier may allow both to be paid
• 70551 — a modifier may allow both to be paid

Codes that absorb this one

Billed alongside any of these, 70553 is not separately payable. 6 pairs in total.

• 61736 — no modifier can override this edit
• 61737 — no modifier can override this edit
• 70557 — a modifier may allow both to be paid
• 70558 — a modifier may allow both to be paid
• 70559 — a modifier may allow both to be paid
• 0648T — a modifier may allow both to be paid

Other codes

• 99214 — Established patient office or other outpatient visit with moderate level of decision making, if using time, 30 minutes or more
• 99213 — Established patient office or other outpatient visit with low level od decision making, if using time, 20 minutes or more
• 97530 — Therapy procedure using functional activities
• 99232 — Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 35 minutes
• 97112 — Therapy procedure to re-educate brain-to-nerve-to-muscle function, each 15 minutes
• 99233 — Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 50 minutes
• 88305 — Pathology examination of tissue using a microscope, intermediate complexity
• 99309 — Subsequent nursing facility care with moderate level of medical decision making, per day, if using time, at least 30 minutes
• 87798 — Detection test by nucleic acid for organism, amplified probe technique
• 98941 — Chiropractic manipulative treatment, 3-4 spinal regions

Deploy this for your team

Every figure on this page came from published payer and Medicare data, assembled by Mishe. The same pricing, claim-editing and care-pathway intelligence runs underneath the plans Mishe operates.

• Contact Mishe to learn how to deploy these resources for your team
• Guides to direct-pay healthcare
• Cash prices by procedure
• Find a provider by state

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