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Billing code 62292: ChemonucleolysisMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports injection of an enzymatic agent into a lumbar intervertebral disc to treat herniated disc material, including discography performed as part of the procedure.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities65 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $510.03 for 62292 nationally in a facility.

Medicare rate · 62292

Chemonucleolysis

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
9.24
Total RVUs
15.27
Global days
090

National rate · 2026

$510.03

Facility setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 62292 → · 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.

On this page 10 sections
  1. Medicare rate
  2. What 62292 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 62292 covers

This procedure delivers an enzymatic agent into a lumbar intervertebral disc to break down disc material, typically for treatment of a herniated lumbar disc. A physician performs it in a procedural or surgical setting. Discography associated with the chemonucleolysis is included in the service; this is not a code for diagnostic discography alone.

Choose the code when the documented treatment is lumbar intradiscal chemonucleolysis, rather than diagnostic discography or a mechanical percutaneous decompression technique. The record should identify the lumbar disc treated and support the therapeutic injection. CMS assigns a 90-day global period, including the day-before preoperative visit and related postoperative care during that period. For multiple procedures in one session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Assistant-at-surgery payment requires 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 62292 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

62292 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
AlabamaUnavailable$474.95
Alaska*Unavailable$660.95
ArizonaUnavailable$500.16
ArkansasUnavailable$470.60
AtlantaUnavailable$520.11
AustinUnavailable$516.82
BakersfieldUnavailable$519.62
Baltimore/Surr. CntysUnavailable$534.93
BeaumontUnavailable$492.51
BrazoriaUnavailable$503.92

62292 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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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
62292 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 62292 rate is calculated

Each of 62292’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 · 62292

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 9.24Practice expense 5.07Malpractice 0.96

15.2700 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$510.03

All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.

Payment rules and modifiers for 62292

62292 has a 90-day global period: related visits in that window are included in the surgery payment.

CMS payment indicators · 62292

Chemonucleolysis

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global period090Major surgery: the day before, the day of, and 90 days after are included.
Multiple procedures2Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%.
Bilateral (modifier 50)0The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply.
Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS)0Not paid without supporting documentation.
Co-surgeons (62)0Not permitted.
Team surgery (66)0Not permitted.
Professional/technical0Physician service: no professional/technical split.
Split (54/55/56)0.11/0.76/0.13Share of the payment for pre-op, the procedure itself, and post-op care.

Global surgery period · 62292

Chemonucleolysis

90-day global period ends

Dec 30, 2026

Covers Sep 30, 2026 through Dec 30, 2026 (92 days, including the day before surgery).

Visit on Oct 31, 2026

Day 30 of the 90-day post-op period: related follow-up care is included in the surgical payment.

  • 24 Unrelated E/M visit by the same physician
  • 79 Unrelated procedure (starts its own global period)
  • 58 Staged, more extensive, or therapy procedure that was planned
  • 78 Unplanned return to the operating room for a related complication
SurgeryVisit
Sep 23, 2026Jan 10, 2027

Pre-op dayGlobal period

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 51 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

62292 without 51 · national facility

$510.03

Chemonucleolysis

62292-51 · Second procedure: 50%

$255.02

When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).

When to use modifier 51

62292 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

62292 vs 62290 vs 62287 vs 62291: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 62292
    Chemonucleolysis · 9.24 wRVU
    —
  • 62290
    Discography · 2.93 wRVU
    $370.08
  • 62287
    Disc decompression · 9.03 wRVU
    —
  • 62291
    Discography · 2.84 wRVU
    $337.35

How to choose

62290Discography
Use 62290 for diagnostic lumbar discography alone. Discography performed as part of lumbar chemonucleolysis is included in 62292.
62287Disc decompression
62287 describes percutaneous decompression of lumbar nucleus pulposus by a different technique; 62292 is for enzymatic treatment.
62291Discography
62291 is for diagnostic discography in the cervical or thoracic region, not lumbar chemonucleolysis.

Codes related to 62292

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

Codes related to 62292
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Used instead
62287Disc decompressionPercutaneous lumbar disc decompression by a different method.No office rate
62290DiscographyDiagnostic lumbar discography without the therapeutic chemonucleolysis.$328.71–$493.30
63030Lumbar decompressionOpen lumbar decompression for a herniated disc rather than intradiscal enzyme treatment.No office rate

62292 billing questions

When should I report this instead of 62290?

Report 62292 for lumbar chemonucleolysis, including discography performed as part of that treatment. Code 62290 describes diagnostic lumbar discography without chemonucleolysis.

Can I separately report 62290 for discography during this procedure?

Discography associated with the chemonucleolysis is included in 62292. Do not separately report 62290 for that same discography.

How does 62292 differ from 62287?

62292 is for enzymatic treatment of lumbar disc material. Code 62287 describes percutaneous decompression of lumbar nucleus pulposus by a different method.

Does modifier 50 apply when treating a lumbar disc?

No. CMS identifies bilateral adjustment as inapplicable because the service and anatomy do not support modifier 50.

What postoperative care is included?

The 90-day global period includes the day-before preoperative visit and 90 days of related postoperative care.

Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?

Assistant-at-surgery payment is allowed only with documentation of medical necessity. Co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.

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
RVUs for 62292PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 6,958 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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