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    v1.0.31
    OpenPayerBilling CodesOther Diagnostic Ultrasound ProceduresCPT cpt-76981-ultrasound-elastography-organ-baseline-assessment
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    CPT 76981: Ultrasound Elastography for Organ Tissue Assessment

    Medicare pays $78 on average nationally for this procedure.

    CPT code 76981 describes ultrasound elastography, a diagnostic ultrasound procedure that measures an organ’s tissue elasticity by applying high‑intensity ultrasound waves and observing return to normal shape; service type: diagnostic ultrasound elastography, typical site of service: hospital outpatient imaging departments or outpatient radiology/sonography suites.

    For related coverage guidance, see recent payer policy updates: Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure Devices for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation, Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure Devices for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation, Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure Devices for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation.

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    Table of contents

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    Clinical & Coding Specifications

    Clinical Context

    A 56-year-old patient with chronic hepatitis C is referred to hepatology for noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis. The clinician orders ultrasound elastography to quantify liver stiffness as a baseline and to monitor progression of hepatic fibrosis. On arrival, the patient is registered, consent is confirmed, and relevant history (alcohol use, prior imaging, labs including liver function tests and platelet count) is reviewed. The procedure is performed in an outpatient radiology or gastroenterology clinic equipped with ultrasound elastography-capable equipment. The provider places the patient supine with the right arm overhead, identifies the right hepatic lobe using grayscale ultrasound, and performs multiple elastography measurements avoiding large vessels and bile ducts. Results documenting median liver stiffness in kilopascals and quality metrics are entered into the radiology report. Images and stiffness measurements are saved to the PACS and communicated to the referring hepatologist for care planning and follow-up surveillance.

    Related CPT Codes

    CPT CodeDescriptionRelationship to This Procedure
    76700Ultrasound, abdominal, real time with image documentation; limited (e.g., single organ, quadrant, follow-up)May be performed before elastography to localize liver anatomy or to document limited grayscale evaluation.
    76705Ultrasound, abdominal, real time with image documentation; completeOften performed in conjunction with elastography if a comprehensive anatomic survey is needed.
    76942Ultrasonic guidance for needle placement (e.g., biopsy, aspiration), imaging supervision and interpretationMay be used when elastography leads to targeted biopsy; guidance code documents real-time needle placement.
    76937Ultrasound guidance for vascular access requiring ultrasound evaluation and localizationUsed when vascular access or Doppler evaluation is required in the same encounter.
    93010Electrocardiogram, interpretation and report only (example ancillary monitoring)Occasionally billed when procedural monitoring documentation is required; not routinely paired but may appear on complex cases.

    Related Modifiers

    7 rows

    ModifierDescriptionWhen to Use
    26Modifier 26 (Professional Component) identifies and bills only the professional portion of a split service — the physician’s interpretation, report, and medical judgment — when the technical…- Use CPT Modifier -26 when you are billing only the professional component (PC) of a split‑bill eligible service—i.e., you performed the physician interpretation, medical judgment and prepared a…
    59Modifier 59 indicates a distinct procedural service when two procedures that are not normally billed together are clinically and procedurally separate. The CPT definition (as reiterated by CMS)…- Use modifier -59 to report a distinct procedural service when documentation supports that the procedure reported is not normally billed together with another service on the same day because of a…
    76Modifier -76, Repeat Procedure or Service by Same Physician or Other Qualified Health Care Professional, is appended when the same provider performs an identical, medically necessary procedure or…- Use modifier -76 when the same physician or other qualified health care professional performs an identical procedure or service a second (or subsequent) time on the same date of service and the…
    77Modifier 77 indicates that a previously performed procedure or service was legitimately repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional. The AMA’s CPT definition…- Use modifier 77 when a basic procedure or service already performed is repeated by a different physician or other qualified health care professional (for example, a second provider independently…
    52Modifier ‑52 (Reduced Services) indicates that a service or procedure was partially reduced or omitted at the provider’s discretion, allowing reporting of the basic procedure number with a qualifier…- Use modifier -52 when a physician or qualified health professional electively reduces or omits part of a procedure or service (for example, performing fewer required views or omitting a portion of…
    53Modifier 53 (Discontinued Procedure) signals that a surgical or diagnostic service was begun by the physician but terminated because of extenuating circumstances that threatened the patient’s…- Use modifier -53 when a physician/qualified healthcare professional has started a surgical or diagnostic procedure (e.g., anesthesia administered, incision or scope insertion) and then discontinues…
    25CPT modifier 25 indicates that on the same day as another procedure or service, the same physician or other qualified health care professional provided a significant, separately identifiable…- When to apply: Use modifier 25 only on an E/M code to indicate the same provider delivered a significant, separately identifiable E/M service on the same day as another procedure or service — i.e.,…

    Related Provider Taxonomies

    8 rows

    Taxonomy Code
    207RC0000X
    2080P0206X
    207L00000X
    207RH0000X
    207V00000X
    208M00000X
    207QS1201X
    2471C3402X

    Related ICD-10-CM Codes

    26 rows

    ICD-10-CM CodeDescription
    B18.1Chronic viral hepatitis B without delta-agent
    B18.2Chronic viral hepatitis C
    E11.22Type 2 diabetes mellitus with diabetic chronic kidney disease
    E78.5Hyperlipidemia, unspecified
    E88.01Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
    K70.10Alcoholic hepatitis without ascites
    K70.30Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver without ascites
    K70.31Alcoholic cirrhosis of liver with ascites
    K71.6Toxic liver disease with hepatitis, not elsewhere classified
    K72.00Acute and subacute hepatic failure without coma

    Showing 1–10 of 26

    Related Payer Policy Updates

    Specialty: Cardiology1 / 3

    10 rows

    PolicyPayerEffective Date
    Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure Devices for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillationpremerabluecrossofwashington2027-02-05
    Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure Devices for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillationpremerabluecrossofwashington2027-02-05
    Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure Devices for Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillationpremerabluecrossofwashington2027-02-05
    Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure - Medical PolicyHealth-New-England2027-02-01
    Transcatheter Mitral Valve Repair Medical PolicyHealth-New-England2027-02-01
    Cardiac Electrophysiological (EP) Studies and Cardiac Ablation of Abnormal Electrical RhythmsCigna2027-01-15
    IvabradineCigna2026-11-15
    Tilt Table TestingCigna2026-11-15
    Outpatient Cardiology Procedures for EviCore Arrangement (for Oxford Only)Colorado Rocky Mountain Health Plans2026-11-01
    Biomarkers for Myocardial Infarction and Chronic Heart Failure Reimbursement PolicyHealthfirst2026-11-01

    Related Codes

    CPT-76975-ENDOSCOPIC-ULTRASOUND-SUPERVISION-INTERPRETATION

    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: Targeted Microbubble Contrast‑Enhanced Ultrasound

    CPT-76979-TARGETED-CONTRAST-ENHANCED-ULTRASOUND-MICROBUBBLE

    CPT 76979: Additional Microbubble Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound

    CPT-76982-ULTRASOUND-ELASTOGRAPHY-SUSPICIOUS-LESION

    CPT 76982: Ultrasound Elastography for Suspicious Lesion

    CPT-76983-ULTRASOUND-ELASTOGRAPHY-SUSPICIOUS-LESION

    CPT 76983: Ultrasound Elastography of Additional Suspicious Lesion

    CPT-76984-INTRAOPERATIVE-THORACIC-AORTA-ULTRASOUND

    CPT 76984: Intraoperative Ultrasound Imaging of Thoracic Aorta

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

    CPT 76987: Intraoperative Cardiac Ultrasound Guidance

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

    CPT 76988: Intraoperative Cardiac Ultrasound Transducer Placement and Imaging

    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. 1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
    2. 2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
    3. 3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.
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