CPT code 73551: Femur X-ray, one view2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in California
A single-view femur radiograph evaluates the thigh bone for suspected fracture, pain, or another bone abnormality when one projection is obtained.
Medicare pays $31.42–$40.00 for 73551 in the office in California, from Chico, CA to San Benito County, CA. 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 73551 covers
This service is a radiograph of the femur acquired in a single projection. It is commonly ordered after trauma or for thigh pain, suspected fracture, or another concern involving the femoral bone. The study focuses on the femur rather than a joint-focused hip or knee examination. A technologist obtains the image in a hospital, imaging center, or office; a radiologist or other qualified physician interprets it and prepares a report.
Choose this code when the documented femur study consists of one view; use 73552 when two or more views are obtained. The order, imaging record, and report should support the body site, laterality, number of views, and clinical reason for the examination. The service may be billed globally, or separately for interpretation with modifier 26 and for the technical portion with modifier TC. When both femurs are imaged, CMS pays each side separately at 100%.
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 73551 pays more and less in California
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
29 payment localities
$31.42 to $40.00
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield, CA | $31.48 | Unavailable |
| Chico, CA | $31.42 | Unavailable |
| El Centro, CA | $31.42 | Unavailable |
| Fresno, CA | $31.42 | Unavailable |
| Hanford, CA | $31.42 | Unavailable |
| Los Angeles, CA | $33.67 | Unavailable |
| Madera, CA | $31.42 | Unavailable |
| Marin County, CA | $39.13 | Unavailable |
| Merced, CA | $31.42 | Unavailable |
| Modesto, CA | $31.42 | Unavailable |
| Napa, CA | $36.84 | Unavailable |
| Oxnard, CA | $33.55 | Unavailable |
| Redding, CA | $31.42 | Unavailable |
| Rest of California | $31.42 | Unavailable |
| Riverside, CA | $31.64 | Unavailable |
| Sacramento, CA | $33.09 | Unavailable |
| Salinas, CA | $32.97 | Unavailable |
| San Benito County, CA | $40.00 | Unavailable |
| San Diego, CA | $33.83 | Unavailable |
| San Francisco, CA | $39.10 | Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo, CA | $32.42 | Unavailable |
| Santa Clara County, CA | $39.91 | Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz, CA | $34.22 | Unavailable |
| Santa Maria, CA | $33.11 | Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa, CA | $34.57 | Unavailable |
| Stockton, CA | $31.42 | Unavailable |
| Vallejo, CA | $36.80 | Unavailable |
| Visalia, CA | $31.42 | Unavailable |
| Yuba City, CA | $31.42 | Unavailable |
How the 73551 rate is calculated
Each of 73551’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 · 73551
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.16
0.16 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.70
0.70 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.02
0.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.8800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$29.39
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 73551
The CMS indicators that decide how 73551 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 73551
Femur X-ray, one view
| 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
73551 without 26 · national office
$29.39
Femur X-ray, one view
73551-26 · Professional component
$8.02
Pays only the interpretation and report.
73551 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 73552Femur X-rayTwo or more views
- 73551 describes one femur view. Use 73552 when two or more views are obtained.
- 73501Hip X-rayUnilateral, one view
- 73501 is a hip-joint examination. Choose 73551 when the study is of the femur rather than focused on the hip.
- 73590Lower-leg X-rayTibia and fibula, two views
- 73590 examines the lower leg, while 73551 is for the femur. Select according to the bone imaged.
73551 billing questions
When should 73551 be selected instead of 73552?
Use 73551 for a one-view femur study. When the examination includes two or more views, report 73552 instead.
Can the interpretation and image acquisition be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
How is a bilateral femur examination handled?
When both sides are imaged, CMS pays each side separately at 100%. Document the side examined for each service.
What documentation supports this code?
The record should identify the femur, laterality, single-view acquisition, and the reason for imaging. The interpretation report should support the professional service when modifier 26 is billed.
Should a hip or knee X-ray be reported instead?
Choose the code that matches the imaged anatomy and view count. A femur study evaluates the thigh bone; hip and knee codes describe examinations focused on those joints.
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
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