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CPT 76979: Targeted Microbubble Contrast–Enhanced Ultrasound

CPT code 76979 represents an additional, targeted microbubble contrast–enhanced ultrasound examination performed after a repeat intravenous injection of lipid- or protein-coated microspheres with a gas core. The procedure is used to evaluate lesions suspicious for malignancy and to assess organ blood flow, most commonly in the liver and kidneys. As a specialized diagnostic imaging add-on, it matters nationally for oncology diagnosis, focal liver lesion characterization, and assessment of organ perfusion where contrast ultrasound is available.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context for contrast-enhanced ultrasound, coding and billing considerations for CPT code 76979, and national benchmarking notes for payer coverage and utilization where available. The publication also summarizes common modifiers and typical service settings to assist revenue cycle and coding professionals in identifying when this additional targeted examination is reported.

The report provides a concise reference for clinicians, coders, and administrators seeking to understand the clinical role of contrast microbubble ultrasound, the coding label for the repeat targeted exam, and the payers most commonly involved in coverage decisions.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 76979 describes an additional targeted microbubble contrast–enhanced ultrasound examination performed after a repeat intravenous injection of contrast material composed of lipid- or protein-coated microspheres with a gas core. The service is used to assess lesions suspicious for malignancy or to evaluate organ perfusion and blood flow, commonly in organs such as the liver and kidneys.

Service Type: Diagnostic imaging — targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound

Typical Site of Service: Hospital outpatient department, ambulatory imaging center, or other outpatient diagnostic facility

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CPT 76979: Targeted Microbubble Contrast–Enhanced Ultrasound

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Get alerted when payer policies referencing 76979 are released or updated.

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Billing Code Overview

Service Type: Diagnostic imaging — targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound

Typical Site of Service: Hospital outpatient department, ambulatory imaging center, or other outpatient diagnostic facility

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 62-year-old patient with a history of chronic liver disease is referred for additional targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound after an initial contrast-enhanced study identified a 2.5 cm hepatic lesion suspicious for hepatocellular carcinoma. The provider re-injects the patient intravenously with gas-core, lipid- or protein-coated microbubble contrast and performs a focused microbubble contrast-enhanced ultrasound targeted to the lesion to assess arterial phase enhancement, washout characteristics, and intralesional vascularity. The workflow includes verification of IV access and consent, administration of the specified microbubble agent, real-time ultrasound imaging with focused cine loops and still images, interpretation by the attending radiologist or sonologist, and documentation of findings and contrast dose in the report. Typical site of service is the hospital outpatient imaging department or freestanding radiology/imaging center; inpatient use may occur for hospitalized patients requiring targeted lesion characterization or organ perfusion assessment (for example, liver or kidney).

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when billing only the physician's interpretation and report for the ultrasound portion when technical component billed separately.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the imaging study is partially reduced in scope or time due to patient factors or incomplete exam.
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use when the targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound is separate and distinct from another service performed on the same day.
`62`	Two surgeons	Rare for this procedure; use if two surgeons/physicians share responsibility and reporting according to payer rules.
`78`	Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room by the same physician following initial procedure for a related procedure	Use if an unplanned repeat targeted CEUS procedure is required intra-day for complication management.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when an assistant surgeon is required and documented for the procedure per payer policy.
`82`	Assistant surgeon (when qualified assistant not available)	Use when an assistant is required but a qualified resident is unavailable; documentation must support use.
`QX`	CRNA service with physician anesthesiologist absent	Use if anesthesia services are reported with a qualified CRNA performing services without anesthesiologist present and payer accepts QX.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing only the equipment, technician, and supplies for the ultrasound and contrast administration when professional component billed separately.
`52`	Reduced services	Duplicate entry avoided; see above.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
2084P0800X	Diagnostic Radiology	Most common specialty performing targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound.
207K00000X	Vascular Surgery	Performs targeted CEUS for organ perfusion and vascular lesion assessment.
207L00000X	Interventional Radiology	Performs diagnostic and image-guided procedures using contrast microbubbles for lesion targeting.
2086S0121X	Internal Medicine - Gastroenterology	May perform or refer for CEUS in liver lesion evaluation in some settings.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`C22.0`	Liver cell carcinoma	Targeted CEUS is used to characterize suspicious hepatic lesions for HCC features such as arterial enhancement and washout.
`K76.9`	Liver disease, unspecified	CEUS assesses focal lesions and organ perfusion in patients with chronic liver disease.
`N28.9`	Kidney disease, unspecified	CEUS can evaluate renal masses and organ perfusion when CT/MRI are contraindicated.
`R93.5`	Abnormal findings on diagnostic imaging of other specified body structures	Used when imaging detects an indeterminate lesion requiring targeted contrast characterization.
`D49.7`	Neoplasm of unspecified behavior of other specified sites	Applied when a focal lesion is of uncertain malignant potential and requires further imaging characterization.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`76700`	Ultrasound, abdominal, real time with image documentation; complete	Often performed before or instead of targeted CEUS for initial abdominal evaluation and localization.
`76705`	Ultrasound, abdominal, real time with image documentation; limited or focused	Performed for focused pre- or post-contrast assessment of a specific organ or lesion.
`76977`	Ultrasound contrast administration and subsequent imaging, percutaneous, targeted, for lesion characterization	Related contrast ultrasound code for initial administration and imaging; `76979` is used for an additional targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound after re-injection.
`78803`	Transcatheter therapy, radiopharmaceutical, therapeutic, percutaneous	Represents interventional therapies that may follow lesion characterization; included as common downstream code in workflows for malignant lesions.
`76970`	Ultrasonic guidance for localization for biopsy or aspiration; first lesion	May be used when CEUS guides a subsequent percutaneous biopsy of the targeted lesion.

CPT 76975: Endoscopic Ultrasound Supervision and Interpretation

CPT-76977-PERIPHERAL-BONE-DENSITY-ULTRASOUND

CPT 76977: Peripheral Bone Density Measurement by Ultrasound

CPT-76978-CONTRAST-ENHANCED-MICROBUBBLE-ULTRASOUND-LESION-ASSESSMENT

CPT 76978: Microbubble Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound for Lesion and Perfusion Assessment

CPT-76981-ULTRASOUND-ELASTOGRAPHY-ORGAN-BASELINE-ASSESSMENT

CPT 76981: Ultrasound Elastography for Organ Baseline Assessment

CPT-76982-ULTRASOUND-ELASTOGRAPHY-SUSPICIOUS-LESION

CPT 76982: Ultrasound Elastography for Suspicious Lesion Evaluation

CPT-76983-ULTRASOUND-ELASTOGRAPHY-SUSPICIOUS-LESION

CPT 76983: Ultrasound Elastography of Additional Suspicious Lesion

CPT-76984-INTRAOPERATIVE-THORACIC-AORTA-ULTRASOUND

CPT 76984: Intraoperative Diagnostic Ultrasound of Thoracic Aorta

CPT-76987-INTRAOPERATIVE-CARDIAC-ULTRASOUND-CONGENITAL-HEART-DISEASE

CPT 76987: Intraoperative Cardiac Ultrasound for Congenital Heart Disease

CPT-76988-INTRAOPERATIVE-ULTRASOUND-CONGENITAL-HEART-EVALUATION

CPT 76988: Intraoperative Ultrasound for Congenital Heart Evaluation

CPT-76989-INTRAOPERATIVE-CARDIAC-ULTRASOUND-INTERPRETATION-REPORT

CPT 76989: Intraoperative Cardiac Ultrasound Interpretation for Congenital Heart Disease

Showing 1–10 of 12

Frequently Asked Questions

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 physician's interpretation and report for the ultrasound portion when technical component billed separately.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the imaging study is partially reduced in scope or time due to patient factors or incomplete exam.
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use when the targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound is separate and distinct from another service performed on the same day.
`62`	Two surgeons	Rare for this procedure; use if two surgeons/physicians share responsibility and reporting according to payer rules.
`78`	Unplanned return to the operating/procedure room by the same physician following initial procedure for a related procedure	Use if an unplanned repeat targeted CEUS procedure is required intra-day for complication management.
`80`	Assistant surgeon	Use when an assistant surgeon is required and documented for the procedure per payer policy.
`82`	Assistant surgeon (when qualified assistant not available)	Use when an assistant is required but a qualified resident is unavailable; documentation must support use.
`QX`	CRNA service with physician anesthesiologist absent	Use if anesthesia services are reported with a qualified CRNA performing services without anesthesiologist present and payer accepts QX.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when billing only the equipment, technician, and supplies for the ultrasound and contrast administration when professional component billed separately.
`52`	Reduced services	Duplicate entry avoided; see above.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
2084P0800X	Diagnostic Radiology	Most common specialty performing targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound.
207K00000X	Vascular Surgery	Performs targeted CEUS for organ perfusion and vascular lesion assessment.
207L00000X	Interventional Radiology	Performs diagnostic and image-guided procedures using contrast microbubbles for lesion targeting.
2086S0121X	Internal Medicine - Gastroenterology	May perform or refer for CEUS in liver lesion evaluation in some settings.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`C22.0`	Liver cell carcinoma	Targeted CEUS is used to characterize suspicious hepatic lesions for HCC features such as arterial enhancement and washout.
`K76.9`	Liver disease, unspecified	CEUS assesses focal lesions and organ perfusion in patients with chronic liver disease.
`N28.9`	Kidney disease, unspecified	CEUS can evaluate renal masses and organ perfusion when CT/MRI are contraindicated.
`R93.5`	Abnormal findings on diagnostic imaging of other specified body structures	Used when imaging detects an indeterminate lesion requiring targeted contrast characterization.
`D49.7`	Neoplasm of unspecified behavior of other specified sites	Applied when a focal lesion is of uncertain malignant potential and requires further imaging characterization.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`76700`	Ultrasound, abdominal, real time with image documentation; complete	Often performed before or instead of targeted CEUS for initial abdominal evaluation and localization.
`76705`	Ultrasound, abdominal, real time with image documentation; limited or focused	Performed for focused pre- or post-contrast assessment of a specific organ or lesion.
`76977`	Ultrasound contrast administration and subsequent imaging, percutaneous, targeted, for lesion characterization	Related contrast ultrasound code for initial administration and imaging; `76979` is used for an additional targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound after re-injection.
`78803`	Transcatheter therapy, radiopharmaceutical, therapeutic, percutaneous	Represents interventional therapies that may follow lesion characterization; included as common downstream code in workflows for malignant lesions.
`76970`	Ultrasonic guidance for localization for biopsy or aspiration; first lesion	May be used when CEUS guides a subsequent percutaneous biopsy of the targeted lesion.

CPT 76975: Endoscopic Ultrasound Supervision and Interpretation

CPT-76977-PERIPHERAL-BONE-DENSITY-ULTRASOUND

CPT 76977: Peripheral Bone Density Measurement by Ultrasound

CPT-76978-CONTRAST-ENHANCED-MICROBUBBLE-ULTRASOUND-LESION-ASSESSMENT

CPT 76978: Microbubble Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound for Lesion and Perfusion Assessment

CPT-76981-ULTRASOUND-ELASTOGRAPHY-ORGAN-BASELINE-ASSESSMENT

CPT 76981: Ultrasound Elastography for Organ Baseline Assessment

CPT-76982-ULTRASOUND-ELASTOGRAPHY-SUSPICIOUS-LESION

CPT 76982: Ultrasound Elastography for Suspicious Lesion Evaluation

CPT-76983-ULTRASOUND-ELASTOGRAPHY-SUSPICIOUS-LESION

CPT 76983: Ultrasound Elastography of Additional Suspicious Lesion

CPT-76984-INTRAOPERATIVE-THORACIC-AORTA-ULTRASOUND

CPT 76984: Intraoperative Diagnostic Ultrasound of Thoracic Aorta

CPT-76987-INTRAOPERATIVE-CARDIAC-ULTRASOUND-CONGENITAL-HEART-DISEASE

CPT 76987: Intraoperative Cardiac Ultrasound for Congenital Heart Disease

CPT-76988-INTRAOPERATIVE-ULTRASOUND-CONGENITAL-HEART-EVALUATION

CPT 76988: Intraoperative Ultrasound for Congenital Heart Evaluation

CPT-76989-INTRAOPERATIVE-CARDIAC-ULTRASOUND-INTERPRETATION-REPORT

CPT 76989: Intraoperative Cardiac Ultrasound Interpretation for Congenital Heart Disease

Showing 1–10 of 12

Frequently Asked Questions

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 76979: Targeted Microbubble Contrast–Enhanced Ultrasound

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Billing Code Overview

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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

CPT 76979: Targeted Microbubble Contrast–Enhanced Ultrasound

Sign up for cpt 76979 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

CPT 76979: Targeted Microbubble Contrast–Enhanced Ultrasound

Sign up for cpt 76979 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

What clinical service is described by CPT code 76979?

Which modifiers are commonly used with 76979 and when should they be applied?

Where is targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound (76979) typically performed?

How does 76979 relate to other ultrasound and interventional CPT codes?

What clinical indications and diagnosis codes are associated with 76979?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

What clinical service is described by CPT code 76979?

Which modifiers are commonly used with 76979 and when should they be applied?

Where is targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound (76979) typically performed?

How does 76979 relate to other ultrasound and interventional CPT codes?

What clinical indications and diagnosis codes are associated with 76979?

References