CPT code 98940: Chiropractic adjustment, spinal, 1–2 regions2026 Medicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $26.72 for 98940 nationally in the office and $18.37 in a hospital or facility. Local office rates run $24.96–$34.82.

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

What 98940 covers

This service involves chiropractic adjustment of one or two of the five spinal regions: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and pelvic. A patient with low back pain might receive treatment in the lumbar and pelvic regions; a patient with neck pain might receive treatment in the cervical region. Doctors of chiropractic typically perform the service in an office. For Medicare coverage of care furnished by a chiropractor, the manipulation must be directed at correcting a spinal subluxation.

Count distinct regions adjusted, not individual vertebral segments; manipulation of three or four regions is reported with 98941. Medicare requires evidence of subluxation by x-ray or physical examination. Examination findings use PART: pain or tenderness, asymmetry or misalignment, range-of-motion abnormality, and tissue or tone change. Document the regions treated, findings, treatment plan, and progress; append modifier AT for active or corrective treatment, not maintenance care. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. CMS permits assistant-at-surgery payment only with documented medical necessity; co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

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 98940 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

98940 rates by state

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

How the 98940 rate is calculated

Each of 98940’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 98940

The CMS indicators that decide how 98940 is paid alongside other services.

98940 compared with similar codes

How to choose

98941Chiropractic adjustmentSpinal, 3-4 regions

Choose 98941 when three or four spinal regions are adjusted at the visit; 98940 covers one or two.

98925Osteopathic manipulationOne or two regions

98925 describes osteopathic manipulation of one or two body regions, which may include regions outside the spine. 98940 describes chiropractic manipulation counted across five spinal regions.

98943Extraspinal manipulationOne or more regions

98943 covers extraspinal regions, such as extremities or the rib cage. 98940 covers one or two spinal regions.

Codes related to 98940

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