CPT code 22514: Vertebral augmentation, lumbar, one vertebral body2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $5,805.74 for 22514 nationally in the office and $424.19 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $5,007.28–$8,241.92.

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

What 22514 covers

A physician accesses a lumbar vertebral body through the skin and uses a mechanical device to create a cavity when performed, then fills the space with bone cement to stabilize the vertebra. This approach, commonly called kyphoplasty, is used for selected painful vertebral compression fractures, including fractures related to osteoporosis. Radiologists, interventional radiologists, and spine surgeons may perform the procedure in a hospital or other procedural setting. Imaging guidance is included in the service.

Report 22514 for one lumbar vertebral body; document the treated level, fracture and clinical findings, percutaneous approach, and augmentation performed. Use 22513 for a thoracic body, and report 22515 for each eligible additional body in the same session. Unilateral or bilateral access does not change the unit for one body, and modifier 50 is inappropriate. Related postoperative visits during the 10-day global period are included. When other procedures are performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service; co-surgeons and team surgery are 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.

Where 22514 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 of 109 payment localities

22514 rates by state

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

How the 22514 rate is calculated

Each of 22514’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 22514

22514 has a 10-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 51

22514 compared with similar codes

How to choose

22513Vertebral augmentationThoracic, initial vertebral body

Choose 22513 for augmentation of a thoracic vertebral body; 22514 identifies a lumbar body.

22515Vertebral augmentationEach additional thoracic or lumbar body

22514 reports the first treated lumbar body in this service family. Use 22515 for each eligible additional body in the same session.

22511VertebroplastyLumbosacral, one vertebral body

22511 describes percutaneous vertebroplasty in the lumbosacral region. 22514 is for lumbar mechanical vertebral augmentation, commonly performed with cavity creation.

22512VertebroplastyEach additional vertebral body

22512 is an additional-body code for vertebroplasty, not the add-on for 22514; 22515 is used for additional augmentation bodies.

Codes related to 22514

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

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