CPT code 73501: Hip X-ray, unilateral, one view2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Reports a single-view radiographic examination of one hip, such as a limited study for focused assessment of the hip joint and nearby bone.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities199.8K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $33.73 for 73501 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $29.60–$46.04.

Medicare rate · 73501

Hip X-ray, unilateral, one view

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
0.18
Total RVUs
1.01
Global days
XXX

National rate · 2026

$33.73

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 73501 →Billed by an NP, PA or therapist? →

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 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 73501 covers
  3. By payment locality
  4. Rate map
  5. How it’s calculated
  6. Payment rules
  7. Similar codes
  8. Related codes
  9. Billing questions
  10. Sources

What 73501 covers

This service is a diagnostic X-ray examination of one hip using one radiographic view. It may be performed in a hospital, emergency department, orthopedic clinic, or imaging center when a limited image is requested. A technologist positions the patient and acquires the image; a physician, commonly a radiologist, interprets it and documents the findings. The image includes the hip joint and may show adjacent proximal femur, depending on positioning.

Select 73501 when the documented unilateral hip examination consists of one view; choose a sibling code when more views are obtained. Record the side, number of views, clinical indication, and interpretation. CMS recognizes a global service, which includes both image acquisition and interpretation, or separately priced professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff portion. The component billed should match the work furnished and documented.

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 73501 pays more and less

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

109 payment localities

$29.60 to $46.04

$29.60$37.82$46.04
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

73501 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$30.06Unavailable
Alaska$38.20Unavailable
Arizona$32.80Unavailable
Arkansas$29.60Unavailable
Atlanta, GA$34.32Unavailable
Austin, TX$35.24Unavailable
Bakersfield, CA$36.19Unavailable
Baltimore area, MD$35.96Unavailable
Beaumont, TX$31.25Unavailable
Brazoria, TX$33.39Unavailable

73501 rates by state

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

Explore a state

Local rates. Clear comparisons.

Hover or focus a tile to see its rate range. Select it to open the state’s fee schedule.

$29.60

$41.08

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
73501 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$38.201
AL$30.061
AR$29.601
AZ$32.801
CA$36.12–$46.0429
CO$35.391
CT$36.081
DC$38.951
DE$33.371
FL$32.88–$35.873
GA$30.94–$34.322
GU$37.161
HI$37.161
IA$31.031
ID$31.221
IL$31.76–$35.024
IN$31.421
KS$30.811
KY$30.681
LA$30.60–$32.232
MA$35.13–$39.162
MD$34.06–$38.953
ME$31.32–$33.242
MI$31.47–$33.252
MN$34.051
MO$29.98–$32.443
MS$29.801
MT$33.731
NC$31.681
ND$33.341
NE$31.241
NH$34.761
NJ$36.53–$38.492
NM$31.621
NV$33.651
NY$32.18–$39.815
OH$31.391
OK$30.691
OR$33.43–$36.662
PA$31.48–$35.082
PR$34.021
RI$34.671
SC$31.581
SD$33.291
TN$30.961
TX$31.25–$35.248
UT$32.041
VA$33.08–$38.952
VI$34.021
VT$33.131
WA$35.09–$40.052
WI$32.141
WV$30.481
WY$33.561

How the 73501 rate is calculated

Each of 73501’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 · 73501

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work0.18

0.18 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.81

0.81 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.02

0.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

1.0100

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$33.73

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 73501

The CMS indicators that decide how 73501 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 73501

Hip X-ray, unilateral, one view

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

73501 without 26 · national office

$33.73

Hip X-ray, unilateral, one view

73501-26 · Professional component

$9.02

Pays only the interpretation and report.

When to use modifier 26

73501 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 73501

    Hip X-ray, unilateral, one view0.18 wRVU

    $33.73

  • 73502

    Hip X-ray, one hip, 2-3 views0.21 wRVU

    $48.77+$15.04

  • 73503

    Hip X-ray, unilateral, four or more views0.26 wRVU

    $62.79+$29.06

  • 73521

    Hip X-ray, bilateral, two views0.21 wRVU

    $41.75+$8.02

How to choose

73502Hip X-rayOne hip, 2-3 views
Use 73502 when two or three views are obtained for one hip; 73501 represents a single view.
73503Hip X-rayUnilateral, four or more views
Use 73503 for a unilateral study with four or more views, rather than the single view represented by 73501.
73521Hip X-rayBilateral, two views
73521 describes a bilateral hip examination with two views; 73501 describes one view of one hip.

73501 billing questions

How is 73501 distinguished from 73502?

73501 is for one view of one hip. Use 73502 when the unilateral examination includes two or three views.

Can 73501 be reported for both hips?

No. This code describes one hip; bilateral hip examinations have separate codes, selected according to the total views obtained.

When should modifier 26 or TC be used?

Use modifier 26 for the physician’s interpretation and report, or modifier TC for the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.

What documentation supports 73501?

Document the unilateral side, the single view obtained, the clinical reason for imaging, and the physician’s interpretation and report when that component is billed.

Can 73501 and 73502 be reported for the same hip examination?

Choose the code that matches the total number of views for that unilateral examination rather than reporting both codes to represent the same study.

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 73501PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 8,186 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

Did this answer your question about what 73501 pays?

Tell us what you were actually trying to work out. We’ll answer you directly, or build the page that does.

Fee sheets · Coming soon

Put 73501 and the rest of your codes on one sheet

Your codes at your locality, with payer contracts beside Medicare.

Join the waitlist