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CPT 74150: CT Scan of Abdomen Without Contrast

CPT code 74150 denotes a non-contrast computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen that yields cross-sectional images to evaluate abdominal pathology. This diagnostic imaging code is widely used in emergency, inpatient, and outpatient settings to support clinical decision-making for abdominal pain, trauma, infectious or inflammatory conditions, and oncologic assessment. Nationally, CT imaging represents a high-volume, high-impact service line with implications for utilization management, imaging pathway design, and payer coverage policy. Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise briefing on the clinical role of a non-contrast abdominal CT, common sites of service, and which payers typically cover such imaging. The publication also presents benchmarking context for utilization and reimbursement practices, recent policy developments affecting imaging authorization and appropriateness criteria, and practical coding considerations linked to service lines and care settings. This overview supports billing managers, radiology administrators, and policy analysts seeking a national perspective on how CPT code 74150 is used and steered by payer policies and clinical pathways.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 74150 describes a computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen performed without the injection of contrast material. The procedure produces cross-sectional images to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of abdominal conditions.

Service type: Diagnostic imaging (non-contrast CT of the abdomen)
Typical site of service: Outpatient radiology departments, hospital imaging centers, and ambulatory surgical centers where diagnostic CT imaging is performed.

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CPT 74150: CT Scan of Abdomen Without Contrast

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Diagnostic imaging (non-contrast CT of the abdomen)
Typical site of service: Outpatient radiology departments, hospital imaging centers, and ambulatory surgical centers where diagnostic CT imaging is performed.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 54-year-old patient presents to the emergency department with acute onset abdominal pain and no known contrast allergies. The emergency physician orders a non-contrast abdominal CT to evaluate for suspected renal stone, bowel obstruction, or intra-abdominal free air. The patient is screened for pregnancy and renal function; because the decision is to obtain cross-sectional imaging without intravenous contrast, a CT of the abdomen without contrast is performed using standard departmental protocols. The technologist acquires axial and reformatted images and forwards them to the interpreting radiologist. The radiologist performs image review, documents findings (for example, ureteral calculi, dilated bowel loops, or pneumoperitoneum), and finalizes the report. Billing is submitted for 74150 to reflect the CT of the abdomen without contrast. The typical site of service is the hospital radiology department, emergency department imaging suite, or an outpatient imaging center.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the interpreting physician’s component separate from technical services.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing only the facility/technical portion of the CT study.
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use when the same physician repeats `74150` on the same day for the same patient.
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	Use when a different physician repeats `74150` on the same day.
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use when `74150` is a separate, distinct service from another procedure on the same day.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the CT is performed but limited or incomplete compared with full protocol.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use if the CT was started but discontinued due to patient instability or intolerance.
`73`	Discontinued outpatient hospital/ambulatory surgery center procedure prior to anesthesia	Use if the outpatient CT was discontinued before anesthesia (rare for CT; used when applicable).
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use when the same physician repeats the procedure; commonly applied if additional sequences are required.
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	Use when repeated by a different physician for clinical reasons.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
2085R0200X	Diagnostic Radiology	Radiologists who interpret CT abdomen studies.
207RC0000X	Emergency Medicine	Emergency physicians who order and sometimes perform and bill interpretations in emergent settings.
2084P0800X	Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging	Specialists who may be involved when cross-sectional imaging is correlated with nuclear studies.
207L00000X	Radiology Assistant	Professionals assisting with imaging protocols and image acquisition.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`N20.0`	Calculus of kidney	Non-contrast CT abdomen is highly sensitive for detecting renal and ureteral calculi.
`K56.6`	Ileus, unspecified	CT without contrast can demonstrate dilated bowel loops and transition points suggestive of ileus or obstruction.
`K35.80`	Acute appendicitis without perforation or abscess	Non-contrast CT may show appendiceal enlargement, appendicolith, or periappendiceal inflammation in some cases.
`K63.5`	Polyp of colon	CT may incidentally demonstrate mass lesions or prompt further evaluation with colonoscopy.
`K65.0`	Acute peritonitis	Non-contrast CT can detect free air, fluid collections, or inflammatory changes consistent with peritonitis.
`R10.9`	Unspecified abdominal pain	A common indication for non-contrast CT to evaluate undifferentiated abdominal pain.
`N28.9`	Disorder of kidney and ureter, unspecified	Broad category for renal/ureteral pathology assessed by CT imaging.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`74150`	Computed tomography, abdomen; without contrast material	Primary code for a non-contrast CT of the abdomen.
`74160`	Computed tomography, abdomen; with contrast material(s)	Alternative when IV contrast is administered; may be performed instead of or in addition to `74150`.
`74170`	Computed tomography, abdomen; without contrast material, followed by contrast material(s) and further sequences	Used when both non-contrast and contrast-enhanced phases are performed in the same session.
`71250`	Computed tomography, thorax; without contrast material	Performed when evaluation requires extension of imaging to the chest (for example, trauma or suspected free air tracking).
`72192`	Computed tomography, pelvis; without contrast material	Performed when pelvic evaluation is required in addition to abdominal imaging; often billed with `74150` when pelvic coverage is obtained.

Related Codes

CPT-74018-SINGLE-ABDOMEN-XRAY-VIEW

CPT 74018: Single Abdominal Radiograph, One View

CPT-74019-ABDOMEN-XRAY-TWO-VIEWS

CPT 74019: Abdomen X‑ray, Two Views

CPT-74021-ABDOMINAL-RADIOGRAPHIC-3-OR-MORE-VIEWS

CPT 74021: Abdominal X-ray, Three or More Views

CPT-74022-ACUTE-ABDOMEN-SERIES-WITH-CHEST-VIEW

CPT 74022: Abdominal Radiography with Single Chest View for Acute Abdomen

CPT-74160-CT-ABDOMEN-WITH-CONTRAST

CPT 74160: CT Scan of Abdomen with Intravenous Contrast

CPT-74170-CT-ABDOMEN-WITH-AND-WITHOUT-CONTRAST

CPT 74170: CT Abdomen Without and With Contrast

CPT-74174-CT-ANGIOGRAPHY-ABDOMEN-PELVIS-CONTRAST

CPT 74174: CT Angiography of Abdomen and Pelvis with Contrast

CPT-74175-ABDOMINAL-CT-ANGIOGRAPHY-CONTRAST

CPT 74175: Abdominal CT Angiography with Contrast

CPT-74176-CT-ABDOMEN-PELVIS-WITHOUT-CONTRAST

CPT 74176: CT Abdomen and Pelvis Without Contrast

CPT-74177-CT-ABDOMEN-PELVIS-WITH-CONTRAST

CPT 74177: CT Abdomen and Pelvis With Contrast

Showing 1–10 of 16

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the interpreting physician’s component separate from technical services.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing only the facility/technical portion of the CT study.
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use when the same physician repeats `74150` on the same day for the same patient.
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	Use when a different physician repeats `74150` on the same day.
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use when `74150` is a separate, distinct service from another procedure on the same day.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the CT is performed but limited or incomplete compared with full protocol.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use if the CT was started but discontinued due to patient instability or intolerance.
`73`	Discontinued outpatient hospital/ambulatory surgery center procedure prior to anesthesia	Use if the outpatient CT was discontinued before anesthesia (rare for CT; used when applicable).
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use when the same physician repeats the procedure; commonly applied if additional sequences are required.
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	Use when repeated by a different physician for clinical reasons.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
2085R0200X	Diagnostic Radiology	Radiologists who interpret CT abdomen studies.
207RC0000X	Emergency Medicine	Emergency physicians who order and sometimes perform and bill interpretations in emergent settings.
2084P0800X	Nuclear Medicine & Molecular Imaging	Specialists who may be involved when cross-sectional imaging is correlated with nuclear studies.
207L00000X	Radiology Assistant	Professionals assisting with imaging protocols and image acquisition.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`N20.0`	Calculus of kidney	Non-contrast CT abdomen is highly sensitive for detecting renal and ureteral calculi.
`K56.6`	Ileus, unspecified	CT without contrast can demonstrate dilated bowel loops and transition points suggestive of ileus or obstruction.
`K35.80`	Acute appendicitis without perforation or abscess	Non-contrast CT may show appendiceal enlargement, appendicolith, or periappendiceal inflammation in some cases.
`K63.5`	Polyp of colon	CT may incidentally demonstrate mass lesions or prompt further evaluation with colonoscopy.
`K65.0`	Acute peritonitis	Non-contrast CT can detect free air, fluid collections, or inflammatory changes consistent with peritonitis.
`R10.9`	Unspecified abdominal pain	A common indication for non-contrast CT to evaluate undifferentiated abdominal pain.
`N28.9`	Disorder of kidney and ureter, unspecified	Broad category for renal/ureteral pathology assessed by CT imaging.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`74150`	Computed tomography, abdomen; without contrast material	Primary code for a non-contrast CT of the abdomen.
`74160`	Computed tomography, abdomen; with contrast material(s)	Alternative when IV contrast is administered; may be performed instead of or in addition to `74150`.
`74170`	Computed tomography, abdomen; without contrast material, followed by contrast material(s) and further sequences	Used when both non-contrast and contrast-enhanced phases are performed in the same session.
`71250`	Computed tomography, thorax; without contrast material	Performed when evaluation requires extension of imaging to the chest (for example, trauma or suspected free air tracking).
`72192`	Computed tomography, pelvis; without contrast material	Performed when pelvic evaluation is required in addition to abdominal imaging; often billed with `74150` when pelvic coverage is obtained.

Related Codes

CPT-74018-SINGLE-ABDOMEN-XRAY-VIEW

CPT 74018: Single Abdominal Radiograph, One View

CPT-74019-ABDOMEN-XRAY-TWO-VIEWS

CPT 74019: Abdomen X‑ray, Two Views

CPT-74021-ABDOMINAL-RADIOGRAPHIC-3-OR-MORE-VIEWS

CPT 74021: Abdominal X-ray, Three or More Views

CPT-74022-ACUTE-ABDOMEN-SERIES-WITH-CHEST-VIEW

CPT 74022: Abdominal Radiography with Single Chest View for Acute Abdomen

CPT-74160-CT-ABDOMEN-WITH-CONTRAST

CPT 74160: CT Scan of Abdomen with Intravenous Contrast

CPT-74170-CT-ABDOMEN-WITH-AND-WITHOUT-CONTRAST

CPT 74170: CT Abdomen Without and With Contrast

CPT-74174-CT-ANGIOGRAPHY-ABDOMEN-PELVIS-CONTRAST

CPT 74174: CT Angiography of Abdomen and Pelvis with Contrast

CPT-74175-ABDOMINAL-CT-ANGIOGRAPHY-CONTRAST

CPT 74175: Abdominal CT Angiography with Contrast

CPT-74176-CT-ABDOMEN-PELVIS-WITHOUT-CONTRAST

CPT 74176: CT Abdomen and Pelvis Without Contrast

CPT-74177-CT-ABDOMEN-PELVIS-WITH-CONTRAST

CPT 74177: CT Abdomen and Pelvis With Contrast

Showing 1–10 of 16

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Jul 29, 2026.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

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CPT 74150: CT Scan of Abdomen Without Contrast

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Billing Code Overview

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CPT 74150: CT Scan of Abdomen Without Contrast

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Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References