CPT code 78315 represents a three‑phase bone scan (scintigraphy), a nuclear medicine procedure that uses an injected radionuclide and timed imaging sequences to evaluate bone perfusion and metabolic activity. This diagnostic test is important nationally for detecting fractures, osteomyelitis, metastatic disease, and other bone pathologies when radiographs are inconclusive. The code is widely used across hospital outpatient imaging centers and freestanding nuclear medicine or radiology clinics.

Key payers covered in the analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find a concise clinical context for when a three‑phase bone scan is performed, the typical service setting, and what the procedure evaluates. The publication provides benchmarks and reimbursement context, outlines common billing considerations, and summarizes relevant policy or coverage updates that commonly affect nuclear medicine imaging services.

The piece is intended to help revenue cycle professionals, imaging administrators, and policy analysts understand where 78315 fits into diagnostic imaging workflows and payer coverage landscapes, and to identify operational and policy levers that influence utilization and payment.