What is a CCTA?

A coronary CT angiogram (CCTA, sometimes written “CCTA scan”) is a computed tomography exam of the arteries that supply the heart. Iodinated contrast is given through a vein so the inside of those arteries — the lumen — can be seen on the pictures. The test is used to look for narrowing and for plaque in the artery wall. It is not a treatment, and it is not the same as a calcium score or a catheter angiogram (cath).

This page is educational. It is not medical advice. Whether a CCTA is appropriate for you is a decision for you and your clinician. Most CCTA exams require a physician order.

What happens during the scan

You lie on a CT table. An IV is placed, usually in the arm. The scanner takes pictures of the heart timed to the heartbeat. Many centers give a medicine to slow the heart (often a beta blocker) and a spray or tablet of nitroglycerin to open the arteries a little so they are easier to see. You may be asked to hold your breath for a few seconds. The time on the table is often short; the visit is longer because of check-in, IV placement, and observation after contrast.

The pictures are read by a physician — commonly a radiologist, a cardiologist, or both — who writes a report. That report is not a diagnosis you should act on alone. Your ordering clinician puts it together with your symptoms, exam, and other tests.

What CCTA can show — and what it cannot

CCTA can show:

• Whether a coronary artery looks narrowed, and roughly how much
• Plaque in the wall, including plaque that is not only calcium
• Congenital or anatomic variants the reader can see on CT
• Sometimes extra-cardiac findings at the edge of the pictures (those still need clinical context)

CCTA cannot:

• Place a stent or open an artery
• Measure blood flow the way some stress tests try to
• Replace a conversation about medicines, risk, or next tests
• Guarantee that a “clear” scan means you will never have a heart problem

If a severe narrowing is found, your clinicians may talk about medicines, more imaging, or a cath. That path is individual. A moderate finding can still lead to prevention medicines and follow-up rather than a procedure. Talk with your doctor about what the pictures mean for you.

Contrast, radiation, and who needs a plan

CCTA uses iodinated contrast. People with kidney disease, a prior contrast reaction, thyroid disease that matters for iodine, or certain medicines need a plan from their clinician and the imaging site. Tell both teams about allergies, metformin, and pregnancy or possible pregnancy. A calcium score usually skips IV contrast; CCTA does not.

Both tests use X-rays. Dose varies by scanner, protocol, and body size. If you want a number, ask the imaging center for the typical dose of their CCTA protocol — not a number copied from the internet.

How this test is billed (CPT 75574)

In U.S. billing, the professional and technical work of CCTA is commonly reported with CPT 75574 (computed tomographic angiography, heart, coronary arteries and bypass grafts when present, with contrast material, including 3D image postprocessing). The 2024 Medicare fee-for-service file this directory is built from uses that code. Other heart CT codes exist (for example a calcium score is a different code). Software that analyzes plaque after the scan is a separate layer — see Insurance, Medicare, and CPT 75577.

A billed code means a clinician submitted a claim. It is not a quality score, and it is not proof that every scanner in a city is listed.

Order, not a walk-in screening

Hospitals and Medicare treat CCTA as a diagnostic test. Most people need an order. This site will not advertise “no order required” or walk-in screening language. If you think you need a CCTA, start with the clinician who knows your history — often a primary-care clinician or a cardiologist. We have a plain-language script you can take to that visit.

Finding a location in California

CCTA Scan lists street addresses that billed CPT 75574 to Medicare fee-for-service in 2024. Volume on each listing is Medicare FFS only. Phone numbers, cash prices, and whether a site offers AI plaque analysis or FFR-CT are Unknown until a center claims the listing. Unknown is not “no.”

Start with the California directory, or a city page such as Los Angeles or San Diego. Bring an order. Talk with your doctor about whether the test is the right next step.

This article is educational and is not medical advice. Listings may be incomplete or out of date.