Glossary · Updated Jul 28, 2026
PC/TC Indicator
The PC/TC indicator tells you whether a code splits into a professional component (the physician's interpretation, modifier 26) and a technical component (the equipment and staff, modifier TC)—and if not, why.
The split, and its exceptions Copy link
Indicator 1 is the split itself: CMS publishes separate -26 and -TC priced lines, each separately payable. Indicators 2 and 3 mean only one side of that split exists for the code—professional-only or technical-only—so there is nothing to bill on the other side. Indicator 0 is an ordinary physician service where the PC/TC concept simply does not apply. Indicators 4, 5, 6, and 8 cover narrower cases: a diagnostic test billed globally only, an incident-to service, a lab test with a separately billed interpretation code, or an institutional arrangement where a facility bills the technical side and the interpreting physician bills the professional side under this code. Indicator 9 means the concept does not apply at all.
PC/TC indicator values Copy link
Every value this site recognizes, in one table:
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 0 | Physician service—no PC/TC split |
| 1 | Splits into professional (-26) and technical (-TC) components |
| 2 | Professional component only |
| 3 | Technical component only |
| 4 | Global test only—no split |
| 5 | Incident-to service—split does not apply |
| 6 | Lab physician interpretation billed under a different code |
| 8 | Physician interpretation code (facility bills the technical side separately) |
| 9 | Concept does not apply |
Frequently asked Copy link
When can I bill both -26 and -TC?
Only when the code's PC/TC indicator is 1 and CMS has published priced lines for both modifiers in that release. Every code page shows the modifier amounts its indicators support.
Why is there no -26/-TC split shown for some codes?
Most codes are ordinary physician services (indicator 0) or apply only to one component (indicators 2 or 3), so there is no second modifier line to price.
Sources Copy link
- CMS Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Relative Value Files
- CMS Physician Fee Schedule overview (cms.gov)
Written from primary CMS sources—see how we source, compute, and verify everything on this site.
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