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CPT 70450: CT Head/Brain, Non-Contrast
CPT code 70450 represents a non-contrast computed tomography (CT) scan of the head or brain, a commonly used diagnostic imaging study for evaluating acute neurologic symptoms and structural intracranial abnormalities. Nationally, this code is central to emergency and inpatient stroke, trauma, and headache pathways because it enables rapid identification of hemorrhage, mass lesions, and other conditions that require immediate clinical action. Coverage and reimbursement for CPT code 70450 affect hospital and imaging center workflows, throughput in emergency departments, and radiology practice revenue models.
Key payers covered in this publication include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of payer coverage patterns and billing considerations, comparisons to related imaging codes (including contrast and follow-up CT or MRI procedures), and clinical context for common diagnostic indications. The report also summarizes typical sites of service, operational implications for radiology departments, and how CPT code 70450 fits into broader imaging protocols for neurologic complaints.
This summary is intended for national audiences interested in medical billing, payer policy, radiology service delivery, and clinical use cases for non-contrast head CT.
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Billing Code Overview
CPT code 70450 describes a computed tomography (CT) scan of the head or brain performed without contrast. The procedure is used to evaluate brain and intracranial structures for acute and nonacute conditions and to identify abnormalities such as hemorrhage, infarction, mass effect, or other structural changes.
Service type: Diagnostic imaging – CT head/brain, non-contrast
Typical site of service: Hospital radiology departments, outpatient imaging centers, and emergency department imaging suites
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National commercial averages sit well above Medicare for CPT 70450: BUCA’s mean commercial rate is $295.80 versus Medicare’s mean of $73.80, indicating a $222.00 gap between average commercial and government pricing. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Aetna, and UnitedHealth Group all have mean rates between those extremes, but BUCA represents the highest commercial average in this set.
Rate dispersion (P75 minus P25) highlights meaningful variability across payers. Blue Cross Blue Shield shows the widest interquartile spread at $169.70 ($505.20 - $353.50), followed by BUCA at $127.00 ($352.90 - $225.90). Aetna and UnitedHealth Group have tighter spreads of $77.00 ($118.20 - $41.20) and $95.80 ($161.20 - $65.40), respectively, while Cigna’s spread is $104.80 ($170.30 - $60.50). These differences reflect varying concentration of contracted rates by payer.