CPT code 97010: Pack therapy, hot or cold2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Hot or cold packs applied during rehabilitation treatment are reported for superficial thermal therapy targeting localized symptoms such as pain, stiffness, or swelling.
CMS doesn’t publish an office rate for 97010 in Texas.
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 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 in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Beaumont, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Brazoria, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Dallas, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Galveston, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Houston, TX | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Rest of Texas | Unavailable | Unavailable |
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
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
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97010 isn’t priced in this setting.
97010 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
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.
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
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