CPT code 20552: Trigger point injection, one or two muscles2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Washington, DC area

In Washington, DC area, Medicare pays $58.18 for 20552 in the office and $39.30 when it’s performed in a hospital or facility.

Check a contract rate as a % of Medicare · 20552 nationwide

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 20552 covers

A clinician injects medication into one or more palpable, symptomatic trigger points in one or two muscles to treat myofascial pain. Common sites include cervical or lumbar paraspinal muscles and the trapezius. The service is often performed in an office or outpatient setting by clinicians treating musculoskeletal or pain conditions. The code describes the number of muscles treated, not the number of trigger points or needle placements; dry needling without injection is a different service.

Choose 20552 when the documented injection treatment involves one or two muscles; use the three-or-more-muscle code when that threshold is met. Record the treated muscles, trigger-point findings, injection sites, and medication administered. Medicare assigns a 0-day global period, so same-day preoperative and postoperative care is included. When multiple procedures occur in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and co-surgeon or team-surgery reporting is not permitted.

This summary was written with AI assistance from CMS physician fee schedule data and checked against the CMS billing rules shown here. Rates on this page come directly from CMS files.

How Washington, DC area compares for 20552

Across 109 of 109 payment localities, the office rate for 20552 runs from $46.68 in Arkansas to $65.44 in San Benito County, CA. Washington, DC area pays $58.18. The RVUs are the same everywhere; the geographic indexes change the dollars.

Every other payment area

20552 rates by state

Office rate range in each state. Select a state to see its payment localities.

See 20552 in every payment locality

How the 20552 rate is calculated

Each of 20552’s three RVUs is multiplied by a geographic index (GPCI) for the payment locality, added up, and multiplied by the conversion factor. Drag the indexes or enter a ZIP to see what moves the rate.

Payment rules and modifiers for 20552

The CMS indicators that decide how 20552 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

Codes related to 20552

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

How 20552 has changed in Washington, DC area

Price 20552 for an earlier date of service

Where the Washington, DC area rate applies

Washington, DC area is a Medicare payment area, not a city. Our Census mapping connects it to 1 cities and communities in District of Columbia. Some span more than one payment area; confirm with the service ZIP.

• Washington

Browse all communities in District of Columbia

Where these rates come from

FeeBase calculates base physician payments from CMS work, practice-expense and malpractice RVUs, adjusted by each locality’s geographic indexes and the conversion factor. Services without a published rate are labeled, never given a made-up amount. Amounts are Medicare allowed amounts before claim adjustments: not a patient’s bill or a commercial rate.

CMS RVU26D · effective Oct 1, 2026 through the day before Jan 1, 2027

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates