$20.89–$31.82
72020 describes a single-view spine X-ray. Choose 72040 when two or three cervical spine views are obtained.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
72040 Cervical spine X-ray Medicare reimbursement rates
Reports a plain radiographic examination of the cervical spine with two or three views, commonly ordered to evaluate neck pain, stiffness, or injury. Compare 72040 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities.
Amounts below use the non-QP conversion factor for participating physicians. These are base physician payments before claim-level adjustments, not patient costs or total hospital charges.
What does Medicare pay for 72040?
The service location and office or facility setting determine which base rate applies. These are the supported base rates for the 109 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$34.90–$54.38
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $19.48 per service.
Facility setting
No supported rate
These are locality ranges, not averages or address-specific quotes. A facility-setting amount covers the physician service; it does not include a hospital’s separate bill. Choose a locality below to inspect its calculation, compare other payment areas, or price a percentage of Medicare.
Where 72040 pays more and less
109 payment localities
$34.90 to $54.38
Radiology
About 72040: Cervical spine radiograph, two to three views
Reports a plain radiographic examination of the cervical spine with two or three views, commonly ordered to evaluate neck pain, stiffness, or injury.
This service is a plain X-ray examination of the cervical spine, capturing two or three views to assess the neck vertebrae and alignment. It is commonly ordered for symptoms such as neck pain or stiffness and for evaluation after an injury. A radiologic technologist typically acquires the images in an imaging department, hospital, or physician office; a radiologist or other qualified physician interprets them and documents findings.
Select this code when the completed cervical spine examination contains two or three views; use the documented views obtained rather than the number requested. The record should identify the cervical spine, the images acquired, and the clinical reason for the study, with an interpretation supporting the professional service. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: report modifier 26 for interpretation, modifier TC for equipment and staff, or neither modifier when billing the global service. The professional and technical components are separately priced when billed with their respective modifiers.
CMS billing rules for 72040
- Professional and technical components
- Diagnostic test with a professional component (modifier 26, interpretation) and a technical component (modifier TC, equipment and staff); billing without a modifier is the global service.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.21 · 18%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.96 · 81%
- Malpractice RVU0.02 · 2%
627.9K
Medicare services in 2024 · #202 by national volume
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.
72040 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
$48.22–$75.68
72050 is for four- or five-view cervical spine imaging; 72040 is for two or three views.
$54.96–$86.42
72052 applies to cervical spine examinations with six or more views, rather than the two- or three-view study reported with 72040.
See how rates vary across the country
72040 · Office / nonfacility · Non-QP. Choose a state to explore its payment localities. A range means the amount varies within that state.
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.
$34.90
$48.51
Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.
View all state and territory rates as a table
| State / territory | Rate range | Localities |
|---|---|---|
| AK | $45.04 | 1 |
| AL | $35.45 | 1 |
| AR | $34.90 | 1 |
| AZ | $38.66 | 1 |
| CA | $42.63–$54.38 | 29 |
| CO | $41.74 | 1 |
| CT | $42.50 | 1 |
| DC | $45.91 | 1 |
| DE | $39.33 | 1 |
| FL | $38.67–$42.08 | 3 |
| GA | $36.41–$40.42 | 2 |
| GU | $43.86 | 1 |
| HI | $43.86 | 1 |
| IA | $36.62 | 1 |
| ID | $36.83 | 1 |
| IL | $37.33–$41.18 | 4 |
| IN | $37.06 | 1 |
| KS | $36.34 | 1 |
| KY | $36.13 | 1 |
| LA | $36.03–$37.95 | 2 |
| MA | $41.42–$46.18 | 2 |
| MD | $40.15–$45.91 | 3 |
| ME | $36.93–$39.21 | 2 |
| MI | $37.04–$39.08 | 2 |
| MN | $40.21 | 1 |
| MO | $35.30–$38.21 | 3 |
| MS | $35.12 | 1 |
| MT | $39.75 | 1 |
| NC | $37.36 | 1 |
| ND | $39.35 | 1 |
| NE | $36.86 | 1 |
| NH | $40.98 | 1 |
| NJ | $43.04–$45.36 | 2 |
| NM | $37.22 | 1 |
| NV | $39.67 | 1 |
| NY | $37.95–$46.83 | 5 |
| OH | $36.96 | 1 |
| OK | $36.17 | 1 |
| OR | $39.42–$43.25 | 2 |
| PA | $37.08–$41.32 | 2 |
| PR | $40.09 | 1 |
| RI | $40.87 | 1 |
| SC | $37.21 | 1 |
| SD | $39.30 | 1 |
| TN | $36.52 | 1 |
| TX | $36.81–$41.54 | 8 |
| UT | $37.76 | 1 |
| VA | $39.01–$45.91 | 2 |
| VI | $40.09 | 1 |
| VT | $39.10 | 1 |
| WA | $41.38–$47.25 | 2 |
| WI | $37.94 | 1 |
| WV | $35.83 | 1 |
| WY | $39.57 | 1 |
Compare 72040 by payment locality
Find the payment area for your service address, then open its rate page for calculation inputs, release history and the percentage-of-Medicare tool. A city may cross payment-area boundaries; the ZIP lookup above helps resolve the location.
109 of 109 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Office $35.45 | Facility Unavailable |
| Alaska* | Office $45.04 | Facility Unavailable |
| Arizona | Office $38.66 | Facility Unavailable |
| Arkansas | Office $34.90 | Facility Unavailable |
| Atlanta | Office $40.42 | Facility Unavailable |
| Austin | Office $41.54 | Facility Unavailable |
| Bakersfield | Office $42.70 | Facility Unavailable |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office $42.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Beaumont | Office $36.81 | Facility Unavailable |
| Brazoria | Office $39.37 | Facility Unavailable |
| Chicago | Office $40.82 | Facility Unavailable |
| Chico | Office $42.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Colorado | Office $41.74 | Facility Unavailable |
| Connecticut | Office $42.50 | Facility Unavailable |
| Dallas | Office $39.59 | Facility Unavailable |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office $45.91 | Facility Unavailable |
| Delaware | Office $39.33 | Facility Unavailable |
| Detroit | Office $39.08 | Facility Unavailable |
| East St. Louis | Office $37.86 | Facility Unavailable |
| El Centro | Office $42.64 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office $40.70 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | Office $39.28 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fresno | Office $42.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Galveston | Office $39.46 | Facility Unavailable |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $42.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office $43.86 | Facility Unavailable |
| Houston | Office $39.83 | Facility Unavailable |
| Idaho | Office $36.83 | Facility Unavailable |
| Indiana | Office $37.06 | Facility Unavailable |
| Iowa | Office $36.62 | Facility Unavailable |
| Kansas | Office $36.34 | Facility Unavailable |
| Kentucky | Office $36.13 | Facility Unavailable |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $45.68 | Facility Unavailable |
| Madera | Office $42.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Manhattan | Office $45.78 | Facility Unavailable |
| Merced | Office $42.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office $46.18 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office $37.78 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office $41.32 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office $38.21 | Facility Unavailable |
| Miami | Office $42.08 | Facility Unavailable |
| Minnesota | Office $40.21 | Facility Unavailable |
| Mississippi | Office $35.12 | Facility Unavailable |
| Modesto | Office $42.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Montana** | Office $39.75 | Facility Unavailable |
| Napa | Office $50.06 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nebraska | Office $36.86 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nevada** | Office $39.67 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Hampshire | Office $40.98 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Mexico | Office $37.22 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Orleans | Office $37.95 | Facility Unavailable |
| North Carolina | Office $37.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| North Dakota** | Office $39.35 | Facility Unavailable |
| Northern Nj | Office $45.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office $46.83 | Facility Unavailable |
| Ohio | Office $36.96 | Facility Unavailable |
| Oklahoma | Office $36.17 | Facility Unavailable |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $45.53 | Facility Unavailable |
| Portland | Office $43.25 | Facility Unavailable |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office $43.25 | Facility Unavailable |
| Puerto Rico | Office $40.09 | Facility Unavailable |
| Queens | Office $46.33 | Facility Unavailable |
| Redding | Office $42.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of California | Office $42.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Florida | Office $38.67 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office $36.41 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office $37.33 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office $36.03 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maine | Office $36.93 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office $40.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office $41.42 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office $37.04 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office $35.30 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office $43.04 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of New York | Office $37.95 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office $39.42 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office $37.08 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $38.05 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Washington | Office $41.38 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rhode Island | Office $40.87 | Facility Unavailable |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $42.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $44.92 | Facility Unavailable |
| Salinas | Office $44.75 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $45.94 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $53.20 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $53.18 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $54.38 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $54.29 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $44.01 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $46.48 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $44.96 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $46.96 | Facility Unavailable |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office $47.25 | Facility Unavailable |
| South Carolina | Office $37.21 | Facility Unavailable |
| South Dakota** | Office $39.30 | Facility Unavailable |
| Southern Maine | Office $39.21 | Facility Unavailable |
| Stockton | Office $42.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Suburban Chicago | Office $41.18 | Facility Unavailable |
| Tennessee | Office $36.52 | Facility Unavailable |
| Utah | Office $37.76 | Facility Unavailable |
| Vallejo | Office $50.02 | Facility Unavailable |
| Vermont | Office $39.10 | Facility Unavailable |
| Virgin Islands | Office $40.09 | Facility Unavailable |
| Virginia | Office $39.01 | Facility Unavailable |
| Visalia | Office $42.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| West Virginia | Office $35.83 | Facility Unavailable |
| Wisconsin | Office $37.94 | Facility Unavailable |
| Wyoming** | Office $39.57 | Facility Unavailable |
| Yuba City | Office $42.63 | Facility Unavailable |
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72040 billing questions
How is this code distinguished from the four- or five-view cervical spine code?
Use 72040 for a cervical spine examination with two or three views. When the completed study has four or five views, compare with 72050.
Does 72040 include the radiologist's interpretation?
The global service includes both image acquisition and interpretation. A professional-only claim uses modifier 26; a technical-only claim uses modifier TC.
What documentation supports the view count?
Document the cervical spine study and the views actually acquired. The report should also identify the clinical reason and include the interpretation when the professional service is billed.
Can 72040 be reported for a one-view cervical spine study?
No. The one-view spine code, 72020, is the relevant comparison when only one view is performed; 72040 describes two or three cervical spine views.
Is this code appropriate for thoracic spine imaging?
No. 72040 is specific to the cervical spine. Thoracic spine studies use codes for that region, with selection based on the views 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 indices and the applicable conversion factor. Unavailable or separately priced services are labeled rather than assigned a made-up amount.
Source: RVU26D. Effective 2026-10-01 through the day before 2027-01-01.
7,93772020,,X-ray exam of spine 1 view,A,,0.16,0.53,,0.53,NA,0.02,0.71,0.71,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,2.67,2.67,0.07
7,93872020,26,X-ray exam of spine 1 view,A,,0.16,0.06,,0.06,,0.01,0.23,0.23,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,93972020,TC,X-ray exam of spine 1 view,A,,0.00,0.47,,0.47,NA,0.01,0.48,0.48,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,2.61,2.61,0.06
7,94072040,,X-ray exam neck spine 2-3 vw,A,,0.21,0.96,,0.96,NA,0.02,1.19,1.19,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,2.72,2.72,0.04
7,94172040,26,X-ray exam neck spine 2-3 vw,A,,0.21,0.09,,0.09,,0.01,0.31,0.31,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,94272040,TC,X-ray exam neck spine 2-3 vw,A,,0.00,0.87,,0.87,NA,0.01,0.88,0.88,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,2.63,2.63,0.03
7,94372050,,X-ray exam neck spine 4/5vws,A,,0.26,1.36,,1.36,NA,0.03,1.65,1.65,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.28,3.28,0.05