CPT code 72110: Lumbar spine X-ray, minimum of four views2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Report a lumbosacral spine X-ray when at least four views are obtained to assess low back pain, trauma, or suspected spondylolysis.
Medicare pays $47.33–$51.33 for 72110 in the office in Missouri, from Rest of Missouri to Metropolitan St. Louis, MO. Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 72110 covers
This study images the lumbosacral spine in at least four projections. A typical series adds right and left oblique views, which show the pars interarticularis, to frontal and lateral views, sometimes with a focused lateral view of the L5-S1 junction. Radiologic technologists acquire the images in orthopedic and spine practices, urgent care, imaging centers, and hospital outpatient departments. A radiologist or interpreting specialist reviews them and documents the findings.
Select the code by the views performed and documented. Two or three views fall to 72100. A complete study with bending views and at least six views falls to 72114; bending views alone fall to 72120. Documentation should identify the views, findings, and interpretation. Under the Medicare physician fee schedule, modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the equipment-and-staff portion. A practice providing both portions bills the global service without a modifier. For hospital outpatient images, the interpreting physician bills with modifier 26, while the hospital bills its facility imaging 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 72110 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.
3 payment localities
$47.33 to $51.33
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | $50.73 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | $51.33 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Missouri | $47.33 | Unavailable |
How the 72110 rate is calculated
Each of 72110’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 · 72110
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.25
0.25 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.32
1.32 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.03
0.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.6000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$53.44
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 72110
The CMS indicators that decide how 72110 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 72110
Lumbar spine X-ray, minimum of four views
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| 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 | 1 | Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 26 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
72110 without 26 · national office
$53.44
Lumbar spine X-ray, minimum of four views
72110-26 · Professional component
$12.69
Pays only the interpretation and report.
72110 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 72100Lumbar spine X-rayTwo or three views
- 72100 covers two or three lumbosacral views. 72110 requires at least four, often including both obliques. The documented view count decides between them.
- 72114Spine X-raySix or more views
- 72114 is a complete series that includes bending views and totals at least six views. 72110 requires at least four views but has no bending requirement.
- 72120Lumbar X-rayBending views only
- 72120 covers two or three bending views alone, without the standard static series. 72110 covers a lumbosacral study with at least four views; a complete bending study with at least six views is 72114.
- 72148Lumbar spine MRIWithout contrast
- 72148 is a lumbar MRI without contrast for disc and nerve root evaluation. 72110 is plain radiography showing alignment, bone, and disc space height.
72110 billing questions
When should 72110 be chosen over 72100?
Count the views actually obtained and documented. Two or three views, such as frontal and lateral with or without a focused view, support 72100. Four or more views, often including obliques, support 72110.
What if flexion and extension views are taken along with the standard views?
Report a complete study with bending views and at least six views using 72114. If only two or three bending views are obtained, use 72120.
Which modifier does a radiologist reading hospital films use?
The radiologist appends modifier 26 for the interpretation and report. The hospital bills its facility imaging service.
Can an orthopedic office bill the global service?
Yes. When the practice provides both image acquisition and a documented physician interpretation, it bills the code without a modifier for the global service.
Does a brief note in the visit record count as the interpretation?
The professional component needs an identifiable, signed interpretation with findings and an impression. A passing mention of the images in the E/M note does not establish that service.
Are pelvis or sacroiliac joint films included in 72110?
Dedicated pelvis or sacroiliac joint films are distinct studies, not additional lumbosacral views. Report them separately only when the separate examination is performed and documented.
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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