CPT code 73700: Extremity CT, without contrast material2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Missouri
Reports CT imaging of a lower extremity performed without contrast, commonly to assess bone, soft tissue, or orthopedic findings.
Medicare pays $117.07–$125.70 for 73700 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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What 73700 covers
This service is a CT examination of a lower extremity acquired without contrast material. A technologist performs the scan in a hospital, emergency department, or freestanding imaging center, and a radiologist typically interprets the images. Orthopedic and emergency clinicians may order it to evaluate findings such as a suspected fracture, bone abnormality, or orthopedic hardware, depending on the clinical question and imaging protocol.
Report the code when the performed study covers a lower extremity without contrast; use the contrast-specific code when contrast is administered. The order, imaging record, and report should support the body region, side, clinical indication, and protocol performed. The global service includes the technical work and interpretation; modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, while modifier TC identifies the technical service. When multiple diagnostic imaging procedures trigger the multiple-procedure reduction, it applies to both components. For bilateral studies, 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 73700 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
$117.07 to $125.70
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Kansas City, MO | $124.40 | Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis, MO | $125.70 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Missouri | $117.07 | Unavailable |
How the 73700 rate is calculated
Each of 73700’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 · 73700
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.98
0.98 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.85
2.85 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.07
0.07 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
3.9000
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$130.26
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 73700
The CMS indicators that decide how 73700 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 73700
Extremity CT, without contrast material
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 4 | Diagnostic imaging reduction applies to the technical component (and professional component) of additional services. |
| 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
73700 without 26 · national office
$130.26
Extremity CT, without contrast material
73700-26 · Professional component
$46.43
Pays only the interpretation and report.
73700 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 73701Extremity CTWith contrast
- Use 73700 for a lower-extremity CT without contrast; 73701 describes the corresponding CT examination with contrast.
- 73702CT scanWithout and with contrast
- 73702 is for a lower-extremity CT performed without and with contrast, rather than a study performed only without contrast.
- 73718MRINonjoint, without contrast
- 73718 is MRI of a lower extremity without contrast. Choose between it and 73700 based on the modality actually performed.
- 73721Lower extremity joint MRIWithout contrast
- 73721 is noncontrast MRI focused on a lower-extremity joint; 73700 reports CT of a lower extremity without contrast.
73700 billing questions
How does this differ from 73701?
73700 is for a lower-extremity CT performed without contrast. Report 73701 when the examination is performed with contrast.
Can the interpretation and scan 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 examination handled?
CMS pays each side separately at 100% when both sides are examined. Identify the side for each service and follow claim-line reporting instructions.
What happens when multiple diagnostic imaging procedures are performed?
The diagnostic imaging multiple-procedure reduction applies to both the technical and professional components when applicable.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The order and imaging report should establish the lower-extremity region and side, the clinical reason for the study, and that the examination was performed without contrast.
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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