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HCPCS R0070 · Level II · code

R0070: Transportation of portable x-ray equipment and personnel to home or nursing home, HCPCS Level II code

Compiled from CMS files by the QuickIntell RCM Editorial Team · Data effective · Method: reference methodology · Report a data correction

Data currency: HCPCS Level II file: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); PFS relative value file: RVU26D, released August 26, 2026 (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI MUE tables: 2026 Q4 (effective October 1, 2026); NCCI PTP edits: v323r0 (2026 Q4) (effective October 1, 2026); OPPS Addendum B: October 2026 (effective October 1, 2026). Next CMS release: January 1, 2027 (quarterly update) for the HCPCS Level II file and NCCI MUE tables and NCCI PTP edits and OPPS Addendum B; RVU27A with the CY2027 PFS final rule, effective January 1, 2027 for the PFS relative value file.

Key facts for R0070

Medicare payment
no PFS amount
PFS status C
Coverage code
D
special coverage instructions apply
Practitioner MUE
2
MAI 3
OPPS status
SI B
Non-allowed item or service for OPPS
NCCI PTP pairs
1
1 hospital outpatient
LCDs and articles
0 / 0

TL;DR

CMS describes HCPCS R0070, added in 1982, as "Transportation of portable x-ray equipment and personnel to home or nursing home, per trip to facility or location, one patient seen". The physician fee schedule lists R0070 with status C (contractor-priced: the MAC sets RVUs and payment case by case), so the PFS carries no national amount for it. MUE limits for R0070: practitioner 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data). In the NCCI PTP files v323r0 R0070 appears in 1 practitioner pairs as column 2 and 0 as column 1 (most often with R0075), and in 1 hospital outpatient pairs as column 2 and 0 as column 1. R0070 appears in no active LCD or billing and coding article, so coverage follows HCPCS coverage code D (special coverage instructions apply) and any NCD. OPPS status indicator B: Non-allowed item or service for OPPS. HCPCS record: BETOS I1F (standard imaging - other); pricing indicator 13; type of service 4 (diagnostic radiology). 1 other active code opens with "Transportation of portable x-ray equipment and personnel to home or nursing home"; related codes: R0075, U0002, U0001, M0201.

R0070 descriptor and code status

The October 2026 HCPCS Level II file describes R0070 as “Transportation of portable x-ray equipment and personnel to home or nursing home, per trip to facility or location, one patient seen”. It sits in the R section (diagnostic radiology services), listed with the other Other Level II codes. Although searches often call it the "R0070 CPT code", R0070 is a HCPCS Level II code maintained by CMS, not an AMA CPT code; both go in the same procedure-code field on the claim.

HCPCS file attributes of R0070
FieldValue
Short descriptorTransport portable x-ray
Added to HCPCS1982-01-01
Last actionN (no maintenance), effective 1998-01-01
Coverage codeD: special coverage instructions apply
Pricing indicator13: physician fee schedule, priced by the contractor
BETOS categoryI1F: standard imaging - other
Type of service4: diagnostic radiology

Medicare payment for R0070

The physician fee schedule lists R0070 with status C (contractor-priced: the MAC sets RVUs and payment case by case), so the PFS carries no national amount for it. The amounts below are national figures from the October 2026 CMS files; the contractor applies the locality, rural or state adjustment and the beneficiary's cost sharing.

Physician fee schedule (RVU26D)

Status C: contractor-priced: the MAC sets RVUs and payment case by case. Global period XXX (global surgery concept does not apply); PC/TC indicator 3 (technical component only).

Hospital outpatient (OPPS Addendum B)

Status indicator B (Non-allowed item or service for OPPS), with no separate OPPS payment rate.

Medically Unlikely Edits for R0070

MUE limits for R0070: practitioner 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data). The practitioner MUE is a date-of-service clinical edit: units above the limit deny but can be paid on appeal with documentation.

MUE values for R0070 by setting
SettingMUE (units/DOS)MAICMS rationale
Practitioner services23 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data
Facility outpatient hospital23 Date of Service Edit: ClinicalClinical: Data

The MUE lookup for R0070 shows every setting next to any other code on the same claim.

NCCI edits and add-on rules

In the practitioner PTP file v323r0, R0070 is the column-2 (bundled) code in 1 active pair, 100% of which allow a modifier and the column-1 code in 0; 0 earlier pairs have been deleted. CMS's most frequent rationale for the bundled pairs: HCPCS/CPT procedure code definition.

Column-1 codes most often paired with R0070 (practitioner)
Column-1 codePairs
R0075 Transport port x-ray multipl1

In the hospital outpatient PTP file v323r0, R0070 is the column-2 (bundled) code in 1 active pair, 100% of which allow a modifier and the column-1 code in 0; 0 earlier pairs have been deleted. CMS's most frequent rationale for the bundled pairs: HCPCS/CPT procedure code definition.

Column-1 codes most often paired with R0070 (hospital outpatient)
Column-1 codePairs
R0075 Transport port x-ray multipl1

R0070 is neither an add-on code nor a designated primary code in the 2026 Q4 NCCI add-on edit file.

Pair counts show exposure, not the answer for one claim. Check R0070 against a second code to see whether the pair bundles and whether a modifier can separate the services.

Medicare coverage policies for R0070

No current LCD or billing and coding article lists R0070. The HCPCS coverage code D means special coverage instructions apply, and any National Coverage Determination for the service still applies.

Denials to expect on R0070

CARC 50 · N115

the service is not reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis on the claim

CARC 151 · N362

units of R0070 exceed the practitioner MUE of 2 per date of service

CARC 4

the modifier reported is inconsistent with the code

CARC 16

the claim lacks the description, invoice or pricing detail a contractor-priced code needs

Where QuickIntell fits for R0070 claims

QuickCode supports qualified coder review of units, modifiers and NCCI pairs for R0070 before the claim leaves, and QuickRCM carries claim readiness and the denial follow-up when an edit or coverage policy is missed.

See QuickCode for coder reviewSee QuickRCM for denial follow-upBook a meeting

Frequently asked questions: HCPCS R0070

What does HCPCS code R0070 describe?

"Transportation of portable x-ray equipment and personnel to home or nursing home, per trip to facility or location, one patient seen" (short descriptor "Transport portable x-ray"), in the R section (diagnostic radiology services). Added 1982-01-01; last action N (no maintenance) effective 1998-01-01.

Is R0070 a CPT code?

No: CMS maintains R0070 in HCPCS Level II, while the AMA maintains CPT. People do search "R0070 CPT code", and it goes in the same procedure-code field.

What does Medicare pay for R0070?

The physician fee schedule lists R0070 with status C (contractor-priced: the MAC sets RVUs and payment case by case), so the PFS carries no national amount for it.

How many units of R0070 can be billed per day?

MUE limits for R0070: practitioner 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data); hospital outpatient 2 (MAI 3, Clinical: Data). For the practitioner MUE (MAI 3), units above 2 deny for the day but can be paid on appeal with documentation; denials arrive as CARC 151.

Does Medicare cover R0070?

R0070 appears in no active LCD or billing and coding article, so coverage follows HCPCS coverage code D (special coverage instructions apply) and any NCD.

Sources

Every figure on this page is taken from the CMS publications below, as released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Projection built 2026-10-10. Verify against the primary file before billing or contracting decisions. The reference methodology explains how each figure is computed from these files.

Disclaimer

This page is an operational reference compiled from CMS publications: the HCPCS Level II file, the physician, DMEPOS and clinical laboratory fee schedules, OPPS and ASC addenda, NCCI MUE, PTP and add-on edit tables and the Medicare Coverage Database. Amounts are Medicare national figures before locality and state adjustment; Medicaid and commercial payers set their own. CPT codes are shown as numbers only; CPT descriptors are copyright AMA. Nothing here is legal, clinical or billing advice.

Found a figure that does not match the CMS file? Report a data correction with the CMS file and the value you expected; the request reaches the editorial team through the contact form.