CPT code 72080: Spine X-ray, thoracolumbar, 2 or 3 views2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Florida

Reports standing X-rays of the thoracolumbar spine, typically obtained to assess spinal alignment or scoliosis across the thoracic and lumbar junction.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 20263 payment localities47.2K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $34.19–$37.23 for 72080 in the office in Florida, from Rest of Florida to Miami, FL. Which amount applies depends on the service address.

$34.19–$37.23Office (non-facility)
—Hospital or facility

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

Your location

Medicare pays by the payment locality where the service is performed.

On this page 9 sections
  1. Rate in Florida
  2. What 72080 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. How it’s calculated
  5. Payment rules
  6. Similar codes
  7. Related codes
  8. Billing questions
  9. Sources

What 72080 covers

This exam captures standing radiographs of the thoracolumbar spine, generally in two or three views, to show alignment across the junction of the thoracic and lumbar regions. It is commonly ordered when a clinician is evaluating scoliosis or another alignment concern involving that area. A radiologic technologist obtains the images in an office or imaging facility; a qualified practitioner interprets them.

Select this code when the documented exam covers the thoracolumbar region and the images meet the code’s view count. The order and imaging report should support the anatomy examined, standing technique, number of views, and clinical reason, such as scoliosis assessment. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff service, and billing without either modifier represents the global service.

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 72080 pays more and less in Florida

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

3 payment localities

$34.19 to $37.23

$34.19$35.71$37.23
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.
72080 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Fort Lauderdale, FL$35.97Unavailable
Miami, FL$37.23Unavailable
Rest of Florida$34.19Unavailable

How the 72080 rate is calculated

Each of 72080’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 · 72080

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work0.20

0.20 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.83

0.83 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.02

0.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

1.0500

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$35.07

Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 72080

The CMS indicators that decide how 72080 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 72080

Spine X-ray, thoracolumbar, 2 or 3 views

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodXXXThe global surgery concept doesn’t apply.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical1Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 26 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

72080 without 26 · national office

$35.07

Spine X-ray, thoracolumbar, 2 or 3 views

72080-26 · Professional component

$10.02

Pays only the interpretation and report.

When to use modifier 26

72080 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 72080

    Spine X-ray, thoracolumbar, 2 or 3 views0.2 wRVU

    $35.07

  • 72070

    Thoracic spine X-ray, two views0.2 wRVU

    $33.07−$2.00

  • 72074

    Thoracic spine X-ray, four or more views0.24 wRVU

    $44.09+$9.02

  • 72082

    Spine X-ray, entire spine, 2–3 views0.3 wRVU

    $71.81+$36.74

How to choose

72070Thoracic spine X-rayTwo views
72070 is a two-view thoracic-spine exam. Choose 72080 when standing images cover the thoracolumbar region.
72074Thoracic spine X-rayFour or more views
72074 describes four or more views of the thoracic spine. It does not represent the thoracolumbar standing exam described by 72080.
72082Spine X-rayEntire spine, 2–3 views
72082 covers the entire spine in two or three views; 72080 is limited to the thoracolumbar region.

72080 billing questions

How does this differ from a whole-spine scoliosis exam?

This code is for standing imaging of the thoracolumbar region. Use a whole-spine code, such as 72082, when the exam covers the entire spine.

Which view count belongs to this code?

The code describes a standing thoracolumbar exam with two or three views. Check the imaging record for the documented views and anatomic coverage.

Can the professional and technical services be billed separately?

Yes. Modifier 26 reports the professional interpretation, and modifier TC reports the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.

What documentation supports reporting this exam?

The order and report should identify the thoracolumbar coverage, standing technique, views obtained, and reason for imaging, such as evaluation of spinal alignment or scoliosis.

Should each image or view be billed as a separate service?

No. Report the exam as one service using the code that matches its anatomic coverage and view count, rather than billing each view separately.

When is a thoracic-spine code more appropriate?

Choose a thoracic-spine code when the documented exam is limited to the thoracic spine. This code is for imaging that covers the thoracolumbar region.

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
RVUs for 72080PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 7,958 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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