CPT code 62292: Chemonucleolysis, lumbar intervertebral disc2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports injection of an enzymatic agent into a lumbar intervertebral disc to treat herniated disc material, including discography performed as part of the procedure.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 62292 in Missouri.
Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.
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On this page 9 sections
What 62292 covers
This procedure delivers an enzymatic agent into a lumbar intervertebral disc to break down disc material, typically for treatment of a herniated lumbar disc. A physician performs it in a procedural or surgical setting. Discography associated with the chemonucleolysis is included in the service; this is not a code for diagnostic discography alone.
Choose the code when the documented treatment is lumbar intradiscal chemonucleolysis, rather than diagnostic discography or a mechanical percutaneous decompression technique. The record should identify the lumbar disc treated and support the therapeutic injection. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. For multiple procedures 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. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires documented medical necessity; 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 62292 pays more and less in Missouri
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | Unavailable | $498.96 |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | Unavailable | $501.97 |
| Rest of Missouri | Unavailable | $485.83 |
How the 62292 rate is calculated
Each of 62292’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.
How the rate is built · 62292
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work9.24
9.24 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense5.07
5.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.96
0.96 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
15.2700
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$510.03
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 62292
62292 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.
CMS payment indicators · 62292
Chemonucleolysis, lumbar intervertebral disc
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 090 | Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
| Split (54/55/56) | 0.11/0.76/0.13 | Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care. |
Global surgery period · 62292
Chemonucleolysis, lumbar intervertebral disc
90-day global period ends
Dec 30, 2026
Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).
Visit on Oct 31, 2026
Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.
Pre-op dayGlobal period
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
62292 without 51 · national facility
$510.03
Chemonucleolysis, lumbar intervertebral disc
62292-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$255.02
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
62292 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 62290DiscographyLumbar level injection
- Use 62290 for diagnostic lumbar discography alone. Discography performed as part of lumbar chemonucleolysis is included in 62292.
- 62287Disc decompressionLumbar, needle-based
- 62287 describes percutaneous decompression of lumbar nucleus pulposus by a different technique; 62292 is for enzymatic treatment.
- 62291DiscographyCervical or thoracic
- 62291 is for diagnostic discography in the cervical or thoracic region, not lumbar chemonucleolysis.
62292 billing questions
When should I report this instead of 62290?
Report 62292 for lumbar chemonucleolysis, including discography performed as part of that treatment. Code 62290 describes diagnostic lumbar discography without chemonucleolysis.
Can I separately report 62290 for discography during this procedure?
Discography associated with the chemonucleolysis is included in 62292. Do not separately report 62290 for that same discography.
How does 62292 differ from 62287?
62292 is for enzymatic treatment of lumbar disc material. Code 62287 describes percutaneous decompression of lumbar nucleus pulposus by a different method.
Does modifier 50 apply when treating a lumbar disc?
No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable because the service and anatomy do not support modifier 50.
What postoperative care is included?
The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only with documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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
Show the CMS file lines behind this rate
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