CPT code 97140: Manual therapy, one or more regions, each 15 minutes2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $27.72 for 97140 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $25.72–$35.60.

Medicare allowed amount for participating (non-QP) physicians, before deductible, coinsurance and claim adjustments. Not a patient’s bill or a hospital charge.

What 97140 covers

Manual therapy involves skilled, hands-on treatment applied directly to the patient, including joint mobilization, soft tissue and myofascial mobilization, manual traction, and manual lymphatic drainage for lymphedema. Physical therapists and occupational therapists commonly provide it in outpatient clinics, private practices, and hospital outpatient departments; physicians may also perform it. Typical treatment targets include restricted shoulder motion, neck or back mobility, postoperative joint stiffness, and lymphedema.

Report 97140 for direct, one-on-one manual-therapy time, not for each region treated. Document the technique, regions, treatment minutes, and connection to the plan of care. Medicare determines the number of timed therapy units from combined timed-code minutes for the day, then assigns units to the services performed; minutes cannot be counted under two codes. Use the appropriate GP or GO modifier when reporting the service under a physical or occupational therapy plan. As a therapy service, 97140 has no professional or technical component split. Under the therapy multiple procedure payment reduction, practice expense is reduced for the second and later therapy units on the same day.

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 97140 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

97140 rates by state

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

How the 97140 rate is calculated

Each of 97140’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.

Payment rules and modifiers for 97140

The CMS indicators that decide how 97140 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

97140 compared with similar codes

How to choose

97124Massage therapy15-minute units

Massage describes techniques such as stroking, kneading, and percussion of soft tissue. Manual therapy describes techniques such as targeted mobilization, manual traction, or lymphatic drainage.

98940Chiropractic adjustmentSpinal, 1–2 regions

Chiropractic spinal manipulation is reported by the number of spinal regions treated, not by time. Manual therapy is timed; treatment of the same anatomical region is not separately reportable with the manipulation.

97112Neuromuscular reeducationBalance, coordination, proprioception, timed

Neuromuscular reeducation trains balance, coordination, proprioception, or movement control through patient activity. Manual therapy is hands-on treatment applied to joints or soft tissue.

97110Therapeutic exerciseOne-on-one, each 15 minutes

Therapeutic exercise involves the patient performing exercises for strength, range of motion, or endurance. Report manual therapy for the distinct minutes spent delivering a hands-on manual technique.

Codes related to 97140

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

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