CPT code 73721: Lower extremity joint MRI, without contrast2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Noncontrast MRI of a knee, ankle, hip, or other lower extremity joint is reported to evaluate joint injury or disease.
Medicare pays $192.42–$211.29 for 73721 in the office in Illinois, from Rest of Illinois to Suburban Chicago, IL. 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 73721 covers
This study images a lower extremity joint, often the knee, ankle, or hip, without intravenous or intra-articular contrast. Orthopedists, sports medicine physicians, and podiatrists commonly order it to evaluate meniscal tears, ACL and collateral ligament injuries, cartilage defects, tendon tears, labral pathology, osteochondral lesions, stress fractures, and avascular necrosis. Studies are performed in hospital outpatient departments and freestanding imaging centers, with a radiologist interpreting the images.
Report the joint studied and its side. For corresponding joints imaged bilaterally, identify both sides using modifier 50 or separate RT and LT lines according to the billing format; Medicare pays each side separately at 100%. Modifier TC identifies the equipment, staff, and other technical work, while modifier 26 identifies the interpretation and signed report. Billing without either modifier represents the global service. When multiple diagnostic imaging studies are performed in the same session, the diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to the technical and professional components. Documentation should identify the joint, side, indication, sequences, and absence of contrast.
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 73721 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
4 payment localities
$192.42 to $211.29
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL | $209.40 | Unavailable |
| East St. Louis, IL | $194.88 | Unavailable |
| Rest of Illinois | $192.42 | Unavailable |
| Suburban Chicago, IL | $211.29 | Unavailable |
How the 73721 rate is calculated
Each of 73721’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 · 73721
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work1.32
1.32 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense4.71
4.71 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.09
0.09 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
6.1200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$204.41
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 73721
The CMS indicators that decide how 73721 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 73721
Lower extremity joint MRI, without contrast
| 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
73721 without 26 · national office
$204.41
Lower extremity joint MRI, without contrast
73721-26 · Professional component
$62.79
Pays only the interpretation and report.
73721 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 73718MRINonjoint, without contrast
- 73721 targets a joint such as the knee, ankle, or hip; 73718 covers non-joint lower extremity anatomy such as thigh or calf soft tissue and bone shafts.
- 73723Joint MRIWithout and with contrast
- 73721 involves no contrast. Use 73723 when the joint is imaged before and after contrast administration.
- 73722Joint MRIWith contrast
- Report 73722 when the joint MRI uses contrast, including direct MR arthrography; report 73721 when the joint is imaged without contrast.
- 73700Extremity CTWithout contrast material
- 73700 is a CT scan of the lower extremity without contrast, not an MRI; select the code for the modality performed.
73721 billing questions
When is 73721 chosen instead of 73718?
Use 73721 when the study targets a joint, such as the knee, ankle, or hip. Use 73718 when it targets a non-joint lower extremity region, such as a thigh or calf soft tissue mass or a long bone shaft.
How are bilateral knee MRIs reported?
Identify the right and left knee using modifier 50 or separate RT and LT lines according to the billing format. Medicare pays each side separately at 100%.
Can 73721 be reported for an MR arthrogram?
No. When contrast is injected into the joint, report the joint MRI with contrast using 73722; report the appropriate joint injection service separately when it is performed and documented.
Which modifier does a reading radiologist use?
A radiologist who only interprets the study reports modifier 26. The entity furnishing the technical study reports modifier TC, and an entity furnishing both components bills without either modifier.
What happens when a knee and an ankle MRI are done the same day?
Report each joint studied with its side. If the studies are performed in the same session, the diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to their technical and professional components.
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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