CPT code 73130: Hand X-ray, minimum of three views2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Plain radiographic exam of the hand with at least three views, typically PA, oblique, and lateral, reported for suspected fracture, dislocation, arthritis, or foreign body.
Medicare pays $33.68–$36.56 for 73130 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.
Your location
On this page 9 sections
What 73130 covers
This study images the hand, including the metacarpals and phalanges, with a minimum of three projections. A standard series uses posteroanterior, oblique, and lateral views. It may be ordered after a fall, punch, or crush injury, or to evaluate suspected boxer's fracture, arthritis, bone lesions, or retained foreign bodies. A radiologic technologist obtains the images in physician offices, orthopedic and hand surgery clinics, urgent care centers, emergency departments, or hospital outpatient departments. A radiologist or treating physician interprets them.
Report 73130 when three or more hand views are obtained; use 73120 for a two-view hand exam or 73140 when imaging is limited to the fingers. The report should document the views, findings, and impression. Modifier 26 identifies interpretation alone; modifier TC identifies separately billed equipment and staff services. Bill the global service without either modifier when one entity provides both components. When both hands are imaged, Medicare pays each side separately at 100%; identify each hand with its laterality modifier.
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 73130 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
$33.68 to $36.56
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | $36.13 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | $36.56 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Missouri | $33.68 | Unavailable |
How the 73130 rate is calculated
Each of 73130’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 · 73130
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.17
0.17 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.95
0.95 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.02
0.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.1400
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$38.08
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 73130
The CMS indicators that decide how 73130 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 73130
Hand X-ray, minimum of three 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) | 3 | Each side paid at 100% (no 150% cap). |
| 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
73130 without 26 · national office
$38.08
Hand X-ray, minimum of three views
73130-26 · Professional component
$8.68
Pays only the interpretation and report.
73130 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 73120Hand X-rayTwo views
- 73120 is a two-view hand study. 73130 requires three or more views. Count the projections documented in the report.
- 73140Finger X-rayOne or more fingers
- 73140 covers imaging limited to one or more fingers. 73130 images the hand, including the metacarpals.
- 73110Wrist X-rayComplete, minimum three views
- 73110 is a complete wrist series centered on the carpal bones and distal radius and ulna. 73130 is centered on the hand. Report both when separate, dedicated views are performed and documented.
- 77072Bone ageSkeletal maturity study
- 77072 is a bone-age study using a hand and wrist image to assess skeletal maturity. 73130 is a diagnostic multiview hand series for injury or disease.
73130 billing questions
When should 73130 be chosen instead of 73120?
Use 73130 when at least three views of the hand are obtained. Use 73120 for a two-view hand exam. The documented view count, not the order, controls code selection.
How are bilateral hand X-rays reported?
Report 73130 separately for each hand, using RT and LT to identify the sides. Medicare pays each side separately at 100%.
Which modifier applies when a radiologist only reads a hospital hand film?
Append modifier 26 for the interpretation. The hospital bills its technical services under facility billing rules; modifier TC identifies a separately billed technical component on physician claims.
Can a hand X-ray and a wrist X-ray be billed on the same day?
Yes, when separate wrist views are performed and documented for a distinct concern, such as suspected scaphoid injury. Wrist anatomy visible incidentally on hand views does not support a wrist code.
If only the fingers are imaged, is 73130 correct?
No. When imaging is limited to one or more digits, report the finger radiograph code, 73140, instead of a hand code.
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
Fee sheets
Put 73130 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.
Build my fee sheet