Professional Component
The portion of a procedure code (designated by modifier 26) representing the physician's interpretation or supervision, separate from the technical component.
1 min read · Last reviewed May 23, 2026
At a glance
- Category
- Billing
- Primary sources
- 2
- Workspace handoff
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Where this comes up
This shows up in revenue-cycle work — claim scrubbing, charge entry, posting, A/R follow-up, and month-end close. Billers and practice managers hit this term when reconciling a payment, working a denial queue, or auditing why a claim aged past 60 days.
Full definition
What it is in practice
CMS splits many radiology and pathology codes into Professional (26) and Technical (TC) components. The PFS PC/TC indicator in the RVU file determines which codes split.
How it shows up in your practice
When the practice owns the equipment and personnel, bill the global service. When only providing interpretation (e.g., reading films at a hospital), append 26.
Sources
- CMS — Physician Fee Schedule (PFS)https://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/fee-schedules/physician
- CMS — PFS Relative Value Fileshttps://www.cms.gov/medicare/payment/fee-schedules/physician/pfs-relative-value-files
Verify PC/TC splits in Ask D3
Open ask d3 →Related terms
- BillingTechnical ComponentThe portion of a procedure code (designated by modifier TC) representing equipment, supplies, and technical staff used to perform a service.
- BillingFacility FeeA charge billed by a hospital or facility for the institutional resources used in providing a service, separate from the professional fee.
- BillingPlace of Service (POS) CodeTwo-digit code on a CMS-1500 claim identifying where a service was provided.
D3rx is a healthcare-billing and compliance research aid maintained by D3rx Inc. Articles are drafted by an LLM (Anthropic Claude) against primary HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and state-regulator publications, and reviewed for restraint and source fidelity by the D3rx team.
Reviewer status: a named credentialed reviewer (CHC, CHPC, or healthcare attorney) is being engaged. Until that engagement is finalized, this page does not claim credentialed review.
Related across the archive
- GlossaryTechnical ComponentThe portion of a procedure code (designated by modifier TC) representing equipment, supplies, and technical staff used to perform a service.
- GlossaryFacility FeeA charge billed by a hospital or facility for the institutional resources used in providing a service, separate from the professional fee.
- GlossaryPlace of Service (POS) CodeTwo-digit code on a CMS-1500 claim identifying where a service was provided.
- GlossaryCardiac Stress Test (93015-93018)CPT codes for cardiac stress testing, with separate codes for the global service, supervision, and interpretation.
- GlossaryCharge CaptureThe process of identifying and recording every billable service furnished during a patient encounter.
- GlossaryClean Claim RatePercentage of claims accepted by the payer on first submission without edits or rejections.
- GlossaryConversion FactorThe dollar value multiplied by the geographically-adjusted Relative Value Unit to determine the Medicare-allowable amount for a service.
- BillingAWV + Problem Visit Same Day: How to Bill CorrectlyYes, you can bill AWV and a problem visit the same day. Here's how to do it correctly with modifier -25.
This glossary entry is a research aid for billing and compliance staff. It does not provide legal, medical, or financial advice and does not replace counsel. References cited link to primary sources at HHS, OCR, CMS, eCFR, NIST, and the relevant payer or industry body.