Radiology Billing Services in Kentucky

Kentucky's radiology practices face unique billing challenges shaped by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky's commercial rules, Kentucky Medicaid (managed care administered by MCOs) requirements, and CGS Administrators (Jurisdiction 15) Medicare policies. Our AAPC-certified coders specialize in both KY payer rules and radiology coding complexity.

AAPC Certified
KY Payer Expert
Radiology Specialists
2.49% Rate
Last reviewed: May 2026Reviewed by the Go Medical Billing Editorial TeamAAPC-certified coders
11,000+KY Physicians
2.49%Starting Rate
5Medicaid MCOs
98%+Clean Claim Rate

Why Kentucky Radiology Practices Need Specialized Billing

Kentucky's healthcare market includes 11,000+ physicians, and radiology practices here face a payer market dominated by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky on the commercial side and Kentucky Medicaid (managed care administered by MCOs) on the public payer side. Medicare claims are processed through CGS Administrators (Jurisdiction 15), which applies its own Local Coverage Determinations that directly affect radiology procedure coverage and medical necessity requirements. Generic billing teams without KY specific knowledge leave revenue on the table.

Radiology billing itself is complex. Radiology coding requires understanding of professional (mod 26) vs technical (mod TC) component billing, contrast administration rules (with/without/both), and the complex coding for interventional radiology procedures. When you combine this coding complexity with Kentucky's specific payer rules, authorization requirements, and 5 Kentucky Medicaid (managed care administered by MCOs) managed care plans that each have their own billing rules, you need a team that understands both dimensions. Go Medical Billing provides that expertise at 2.49% of collections, serving radiology practices from Louisville to Hopkinsville and across Kentucky.

2026 Kentucky Medicare Allowables for Radiology CPT Codes

These are the 2026 Medicare allowable amounts for radiology CPT codes in Kentucky, processed under CGS Administrators (Jurisdiction 15). Allowables are locality-adjusted, so KYrates differ from other states — the highest-value radiology code below pays $273.62 non-facility here. Compare any code across states with our Medicare fee calculator by state.

Code
Description
Non-Facility
Facility
CT head or brain without contrast
$97.85
$97.85
CT chest without contrast
$121.84
$121.84
MRI lumbar spine without contrast
$175.87
$175.87
MRI lower extremity joint without contrast
$186.70
$186.70
CT abdomen and pelvis with contrast
$273.62
$273.62
Abdominal ultrasound, complete
$104.53
$104.53
Transvaginal ultrasound
$107.06
$107.06
Diagnostic mammography, unilateral
$113.14
$113.14
Screening mammography, bilateral
$115.03
$115.03
Soft tissue head and neck ultrasound
$98.58
$98.58

Source: 2026 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule, KY locality (CGS Administrators (Jurisdiction 15)). Commercial Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky rates typically run above these benchmarks; Kentucky Medicaid (managed care administered by MCOs) rates run below. Figures for reference, not a guarantee of payment.

The Kentucky Market Context for Radiology Practices

Kentucky has about 11,000 physicians and a Medicaid managed care program that saw a significant change at the start of 2025. Effective January 1, 2025, Anthem is no longer a Medicaid Managed Care Organization in Kentucky. The remaining five MCOs are Aetna Better Health, Humana Healthy Horizons, Passport Health Plan by Molina, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, and WellCare of Kentucky. Passport Health Plan, originally a provider-owned plan in Louisville, was acquired by Molina Healthcare in 2020 and continues to operate under the Passport brand. Kentucky expanded Medicaid in 2014 under then-Governor Beshear, which added several hundred thousand newly eligible adults. The commercial market is dominated by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky statewide. Louisville and Lexington are the two main metros. Louisville is anchored by Norton Healthcare and UofL Health (University of Louisville academic system). Lexington is anchored by UK HealthCare (University of Kentucky academic system) and Baptist Health Lexington. Northern Kentucky shares a labor market with Cincinnati, so practices there often see Ohio patients and use Cincinnati-area health systems.

Kentucky-specific factors that shape radiology reimbursement: Anthem exited Kentucky Medicaid managed care effective January 1, 2025. Anthem remains the dominant commercial carrier in Kentucky but no longer participates in the Medicaid program.; Passport Health Plan was originally a provider-owned Medicaid plan in Louisville before being acquired by Molina Healthcare in 2020. It still operates under the Passport brand but uses Molina's national infrastructure.; Kentucky expanded Medicaid in 2014 under Governor Steve Beshear, becoming one of the first Southern states to adopt expansion. The state's Medicaid population grew significantly as a result.. Our KY coders build these into every radiologyclaim — see how this works alongside our Kentucky medical billing and radiology billing teams.

Kentucky Payer Challenges for Radiology

Every KY payer has specific rules for radiology claims. Here's how we navigate them.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky Radiology Claims

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky processes the largest share of Kentucky commercial radiology claims. We know their KY specific fee schedules, prior authorization requirements for radiology procedures, and their appeal timelines when claims are denied. 26/TC splits must match the service your practice actually provides.

Kentucky Medicaid (managed care administered by MCOs) Radiology Billing

Kentucky Medicaid (managed care administered by MCOs) routes radiology patients through 5 managed care plans: Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, Humana Healthy Horizons in Kentucky, Passport Health Plan by Molina Healthcare, and 2 more. Each MCO has its own radiology authorization and billing rules that we manage.

Medicare (CGS Administrators (Jurisdiction 15)) Radiology Coverage

CGS Administrators (Jurisdiction 15) processes Medicare radiology claims in Kentucky with its own Local Coverage Determinations. We navigate CGS Administrators (Jurisdiction 15)'s policies around contrast rules to prevent medical necessity denials.

Denial Prevention for Kentucky Radiology

Common radiology denials in Kentucky include 26/tc splits must match the service your practice actually provides and with contrast, without contrast, and with+without have different codes and rates. Our team catches these issues before submission and appeals aggressively with KY payer-specific documentation when denials occur.

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What We Handle for Kentucky Radiology Practices

Diagnostic radiology coding (X-ray, CT, MRI, US)
Professional/technical component billing
Interventional radiology coding
Contrast protocol coding
Prior authorization for advanced imaging
Multi-modality practice billing

Kentucky Radiology Billing Cost Comparison

Hiring an in-house biller with radiology expertise in Kentucky costs $30K-$42K annually in salary alone. Add benefits, software, clearinghouse fees, and office space, and the true cost is even higher. At 2.49% of collections, Go Medical Billing provides an entire team of AAPC-certified radiology coders and KY payer specialists for a fraction of that cost.

$30K-$42K

In-House Biller Salary

+ benefits, software, space

2.49%

Go Medical Billing Rate

Full team, all services included

60-80%

Typical Cost Reduction

With better results

Frequently Asked Questions

All major KY payers: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky, Humana, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Kentucky Medicaid (managed care administered by MCOs) (including Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, Humana Healthy Horizons in Kentucky, Passport Health Plan by Molina Healthcare), and Medicare through CGS Administrators (Jurisdiction 15). If a payer accepts radiology patients in Kentucky, we submit and follow-up on claims with them.
The most frequent radiology denials we see from KY payers include 26/tc splits must match the service your practice actually provides, with contrast, without contrast, and with+without have different codes and rates, ir procedures combine surgical and imaging codes with specific supervision requirements. Our team catches these before submission by applying both radiology coding expertise and KY payer-specific rules to every claim.
Kentucky Medicaid (managed care administered by MCOs) routes radiology patients through 5 managed care plans: Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, Humana Healthy Horizons in Kentucky, Passport Health Plan by Molina Healthcare, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, WellCare of Kentucky. Each MCO has its own radiology authorization requirements, fee schedules, and billing rules. We credential and bill with all of them so your radiology practice gets paid correctly.
Most KY radiology practices are fully transitioned within two to three weeks. We connect to your EHR, learn your radiology workflows, and start submitting claims to Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kentucky, Kentucky Medicaid (managed care administered by MCOs), Medicare, and all your KY payers with no downtime.

Fix Your Kentucky Radiology Billing

Call 888-701-6090 for a free billing assessment specific to your KY radiology practice. We'll show you where revenue is leaking and how to fix it.