🩺
1500 Claim BillingBETA
Sign In

70450 CPT Code: CT Head Without Contrast Billing

Last Updated: January 17, 2026

Medical Coding Assistant

Select a tool below to quickly look up rules or auto-code clinical notes.

CPT 70450 (Computed tomography, head or brain; without contrast material) is one of the most frequently billed imaging codes in emergency medicine and neurology.

TL;DR Quick Answer

Short on time? Don't want to read the whole guide? Ask our AI your specific billing question and get an instant answer.

With vs Without Contrast

It is critical to select the correct CT code based on contrast usage:

  • 70450: Without contrast.
  • 70460: With contrast.
  • 70470: Without contrast, followed by contrast and further sections.

Compare CPT Codes

Confused between with vs. without contrast? Look up the official code descriptions.

Medical Necessity & Trauma

70450 is the gold standard for ruling out intracranial hemorrhage following head trauma. Ensure your ICD-10 codes match the symptoms, such as S06.0X0A (Concussion without loss of consciousness, initial encounter) or R51.9 (Headache, unspecified).

Verify Medical Necessity

Don't risk a denial. See if your ICD-10 code is on the approved Medicare LCD list.

NCCI Edits

If you bill a CTA (CT Angiography) of the head (70496), the standard CT head (70450) is typically bundled into it unless performed at entirely separate, medically necessary encounters.

Check NCCI Edits Instantly

Not sure if these codes bundle? Check the latest Medicare NCCI database updates before you bill.

Tired of dealing with rejected claims?

Use our modern CMS-1500 software to instantly validate NPIs, CPT codes, and ICD-10 formatting. It's completely free to start.

Create Your Free Account

Related Articles