Imaging · CPT 71046

What is CPT code 71046?

Chest X-ray, two views.

By Justin Feldstein · Reviewed 2026-06-15

What it covers

A standard chest X-ray taken from two angles, usually one straight-on from the back and one from the side. The two-view version gives a fuller picture than a single shot because it lets the reader see structures that overlap on a single image. It's a quick, low-radiation look at the lungs, the outline of the heart, and the rib cage.

When you'd see it

You'll see it on a bill after a cough or chest pain that needs checking, before certain surgeries as a clearance step, or any time a doctor wants a basic look at your lungs and heart.

Roughly what it costs

$45–$350 commonly billed

A ballpark on the billed amount. After insurance or a negotiated rate, what you owe is often far lower. Always compare against your Explanation of Benefits (EOB).

What's usually billed with it

A chest X-ray normally generates two separate charges: a technical/facility charge for running the equipment and taking the image, and a professional charge for the radiologist who reads it and writes the report.

71046 vs 71045

71045 is a one-view chest X-ray; 71046 is the two-view version, so seeing 71046 should mean two images were actually taken, not one. See 71045 (Chest X-ray, single view).

What to watch for

Two reasonable line items for one chest X-ray is normal: the facility/technical charge and the radiologist's reading charge. Three or more charges, or the same image read twice, is worth a question to the billing office.

Specific things to question

• A single-view chest X-ray (71045) billed as the more expensive two-view 71046.
• More than two line items for one chest X-ray on one date (the read and the technical charge are two; a third is worth asking about).
• The same chest X-ray read and billed twice by two different readers.

How to check this charge on your own bill

Find 71046 on your itemized bill and match it against your EOB. Confirm it appears only once, that any bundled services aren't also billed separately, and that the amount matches what your insurer says it allowed. If something doesn't line up, that's a fair question for the billing office.