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CPT code 97010: Pack therapy, hot or cold2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Hot or cold packs applied during rehabilitation treatment are reported for superficial thermal therapy targeting localized symptoms such as pain, stiffness, or swelling.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities

Medicare rate · 97010

Pack therapy, hot or cold

Office or facility?

Work RVUs
0.06
Total RVUs
0.20
Global days
XXX

National rate · 2026

—

Not priced in the facility setting.

See every locality for 97010 →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 97010 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 97010 covers

This modality covers superficial heat or cold delivered with packs placed on a patient's body. Physical and occupational therapists may use packs during rehabilitation treatment for localized symptoms such as pain, stiffness, or swelling. Therapists may provide this treatment in outpatient rehabilitation settings. It is distinct from paraffin baths, whirlpool immersion, and equipment-delivered diathermy, which use different treatment methods.

Medicare assigns 97010 physician fee schedule status B. Payment for the service is bundled into payment for other services, and Medicare never pays 97010 separately. In the treatment record, identify whether hot or cold packs were used and the area treated.

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.

Billing guides for 97010: Physical therapy CPT codes

Where 97010 pays more and less

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

109 of 109 payment localities

97010 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailableUnavailable
AlaskaUnavailableUnavailable
ArizonaUnavailableUnavailable
ArkansasUnavailableUnavailable
Atlanta, GAUnavailableUnavailable
Austin, TXUnavailableUnavailable
Bakersfield, CAUnavailableUnavailable
Baltimore area, MDUnavailableUnavailable
Beaumont, TXUnavailableUnavailable
Brazoria, TXUnavailableUnavailable

97010 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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.

View every state and territory as a table
97010 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AKNo published base rate1
ALNo published base rate1
ARNo published base rate1
AZNo published base rate1
CANo published base rate29
CONo published base rate1
CTNo published base rate1
DCNo published base rate1
DENo published base rate1
FLNo published base rate3
GANo published base rate2
GUNo published base rate1
HINo published base rate1
IANo published base rate1
IDNo published base rate1
ILNo published base rate4
INNo published base rate1
KSNo published base rate1
KYNo published base rate1
LANo published base rate2
MANo published base rate2
MDNo published base rate3
MENo published base rate2
MINo published base rate2
MNNo published base rate1
MONo published base rate3
MSNo published base rate1
MTNo published base rate1
NCNo published base rate1
NDNo published base rate1
NENo published base rate1
NHNo published base rate1
NJNo published base rate2
NMNo published base rate1
NVNo published base rate1
NYNo published base rate5
OHNo published base rate1
OKNo published base rate1
ORNo published base rate2
PANo published base rate2
PRNo published base rate1
RINo published base rate1
SCNo published base rate1
SDNo published base rate1
TNNo published base rate1
TXNo published base rate8
UTNo published base rate1
VANo published base rate2
VINo published base rate1
VTNo published base rate1
WANo published base rate2
WINo published base rate1
WVNo published base rate1
WYNo published base rate1

How the 97010 rate is calculated

Each of 97010’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 · 97010

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Office or facility?

Work0.06

0.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Practice expense0.13

0.13 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Malpractice0.01

0.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI

Adjusted RVUs

0.2000

Conversion factor

$33.4009

Medicare rate

$6.68

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 97010

97010 has no global surgery period, no multiple-procedure, bilateral or assistant-at-surgery adjustment, and no professional/technical split. What changes the payment is where the service happens: the place of service on the claim decides whether Medicare pays the office or the facility rate.

Place of service · 97010

Which rate does Medicare pay?

The POS code on the claim line (CMS-1500 box 24B).

POS 11 · non-facility rate · national

—

97010 isn’t priced in this setting.

97010 compared with similar codes

Compare codes · National

4 codes, side by side

Office or facility?

  • 97010

    Pack therapy, hot or cold0.06 wRVU

    Not priced

  • 97018

    Paraffin therapy, superficial heat modality0.06 wRVU

    $6.01

  • 97022

    Whirlpool therapy, agitated water immersion0.17 wRVU

    $15.70

  • 97024

    Diathermy, microwave or other diathermy0.06 wRVU

    $7.35

How to choose

97018Paraffin therapySuperficial heat modality
Choose 97010 for hot or cold packs; choose 97018 when treatment uses a paraffin bath.
97022Whirlpool therapyAgitated water immersion
Choose 97010 for packs placed on the body. Code 97022 describes treatment using whirlpool immersion.
97024DiathermyMicrowave or other diathermy
Choose 97010 for hot or cold packs. Code 97024 describes diathermy, which delivers heat using equipment.

Codes related to 97010

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 97010
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
97018Paraffin therapy, superficial heat modalityParaffin bath therapy uses a different method of applying heat.$5.33–$7.70
97022Whirlpool therapy, agitated water immersionWhirlpool therapy uses water immersion rather than packs.$14.17–$20.45
97024Diathermy, microwave or other diathermyDiathermy delivers heat using equipment rather than hot or cold packs.$6.48–$9.63

97010 billing questions

When should I report 97010 instead of paraffin bath therapy?

Report 97010 for hot or cold packs placed on the body. Code 97018 describes treatment using a paraffin bath.

Is 97010 separately payable by Medicare?

No. Medicare assigns status B, so payment is included in payment for other services and 97010 is never paid separately.

How does 97010 differ from whirlpool therapy?

Code 97010 is for hot or cold packs placed on the body. Code 97022 describes whirlpool therapy using water immersion.

What should the treatment record identify?

Identify whether hot or cold packs were used and the area treated.

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

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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