Summary & Overview
CPT 76391: Magnetic Resonance Elastography for Tissue Stiffness Assessment
CPT code 76391 defines magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), a diagnostic imaging technique that uses an external vibration source and magnetic resonance imaging to assess tissue elasticity and stiffness. MRE is most commonly applied to organs such as the liver to help identify fibrosis, cirrhosis, and other conditions that alter tissue stiffness. Nationally, MRE has clinical significance as a noninvasive alternative to biopsy for evaluating organ stiffness and staging liver disease.
Key payers included in this analysis are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for CPT code 76391, typical sites of service, and the scope of services represented by the code. The publication summarizes payer coverage patterns, common billing considerations, and how MRE fits into diagnostic imaging workflows. It also highlights benchmarks and policy updates where available and notes areas where input data is not available.
This summary is written for a national audience and is intended to inform health plan analysts, practice managers, and imaging leaders about the clinical role and billing characterization of CPT code 76391 within current diagnostic imaging services.
Billing Code Overview
CPT code 76391 describes a magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) procedure in which the provider places a vibration source over suspicious tissue or an organ (for example, the liver) to induce tissue vibration and uses magnetic resonance imaging to assess tissue elasticity or stiffness. The technique distinguishes elastic, healthy tissue from stiffer, potentially abnormal tissue by measuring vibrational response and deformation.
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Service type: Diagnostic imaging procedure using magnetic resonance elastography
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Typical site of service: Hospital outpatient imaging center or ambulatory imaging center
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A typical patient is a 55-year-old with chronic liver disease and elevated liver enzymes or a focal hepatic lesion detected on ultrasound. The ordering hepatologist or radiologist requests elastography using magnetic resonance imaging to noninvasively assess liver stiffness to help stage fibrosis or characterize a suspicious lesion. The patient arrives to the outpatient radiology MRI suite, screening for MRI safety and contraindications, changes into gown, and is positioned supine. A vibration transducer (external driver) is placed over the right upper quadrant (liver) and synchronized with the MRI sequence. The MRI technologist performs the specialized MR elastography sequence while the driver generates low-frequency vibrations; images are obtained to produce elastograms that quantify tissue stiffness. The radiologist reviews the elastography images alongside conventional liver MRI sequences, reports liver stiffness measurements (often in kilopascals) and maps, and integrates findings with clinical history to inform staging of fibrosis or evaluation of focal hepatic lesions. Typical site of service is an outpatient or hospital-based MRI suite within radiology or an imaging center. Typical service type is diagnostic MR elastography of an abdominal organ (commonly the liver). Typical modifiers appended depend on payer and reporting needs, such as professional component or technical component when services are split between facility and interpreting physician.
Coding Specifications
| Modifier | Description | When to Use |
|---|---|---|
26 | Professional component |