$34.90–$54.38
72040 applies to a cervical spine study with two or three views; 72050 applies when four or five views are obtained.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
72050 Neck spine X-ray Medicare reimbursement rates
Reports cervical spine radiographs when four or five views are obtained to evaluate neck pain, alignment, or suspected bony changes. Compare 72050 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 72050?
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
$48.22–$75.68
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $27.46 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 72050 pays more and less
109 payment localities
$48.22 to $75.68
Radiology
About 72050: Cervical spine radiographs, four or five views
Reports cervical spine radiographs when four or five views are obtained to evaluate neck pain, alignment, or suspected bony changes.
This service uses X-rays to image the cervical spine in four or five views. A radiologic technologist typically obtains the projections in an office imaging suite, outpatient radiology department, or hospital, and a physician—often a radiologist—interprets the images. Clinicians may request this examination when assessing neck pain, suspected degenerative changes, or cervical alignment. The views provide more coverage than a limited two- or three-view cervical study.
Select the code based on the cervical region and the number of views actually obtained; the report should support both. Billing without a modifier represents the global service, including the imaging equipment and staff as well as the interpretation. When those portions are billed separately, modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation and modifier TC identifies the technical service. The CMS fee schedule separately prices these modifiers.
CMS billing rules for 72050
- 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 RVU0.26 · 16%
- Practice expense (office) RVU1.36 · 82%
- Malpractice RVU0.03 · 2%
352.5K
Medicare services in 2024 · #281 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.
72050 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
$54.96–$86.42
Both codes cover cervical spine imaging, but 72052 is for six or more views rather than four or five.
$29.12–$44.86
72070 is for thoracic spine imaging. Choose 72050 when the imaged region is the cervical spine and four or five views are obtained.
See how rates vary across the country
72050 · 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.
$48.22
$67.42
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 | $61.96 | 1 |
| AL | $49.00 | 1 |
| AR | $48.22 | 1 |
| AZ | $53.56 | 1 |
| CA | $59.15–$75.68 | 29 |
| CO | $57.90 | 1 |
| CT | $58.99 | 1 |
| DC | $63.78 | 1 |
| DE | $54.51 | 1 |
| FL | $53.62–$58.51 | 3 |
| GA | $50.40–$56.07 | 2 |
| GU | $60.91 | 1 |
| HI | $60.91 | 1 |
| IA | $50.65 | 1 |
| ID | $50.95 | 1 |
| IL | $51.72–$57.17 | 4 |
| IN | $51.28 | 1 |
| KS | $50.25 | 1 |
| KY | $49.98 | 1 |
| LA | $49.85–$52.57 | 2 |
| MA | $57.45–$64.17 | 2 |
| MD | $55.66–$63.78 | 3 |
| ME | $51.10–$54.33 | 2 |
| MI | $51.29–$54.21 | 2 |
| MN | $55.72 | 1 |
| MO | $48.82–$52.93 | 3 |
| MS | $48.54 | 1 |
| MT | $55.11 | 1 |
| NC | $51.71 | 1 |
| ND | $54.52 | 1 |
| NE | $50.99 | 1 |
| NH | $56.85 | 1 |
| NJ | $59.74–$62.99 | 2 |
| NM | $51.54 | 1 |
| NV | $54.99 | 1 |
| NY | $52.54–$65.11 | 5 |
| OH | $51.17 | 1 |
| OK | $50.03 | 1 |
| OR | $54.63–$60.04 | 2 |
| PA | $51.33–$57.32 | 2 |
| PR | $55.60 | 1 |
| RI | $56.67 | 1 |
| SC | $51.51 | 1 |
| SD | $54.45 | 1 |
| TN | $50.51 | 1 |
| TX | $50.95–$57.65 | 8 |
| UT | $52.28 | 1 |
| VA | $54.04–$63.78 | 2 |
| VI | $55.60 | 1 |
| VT | $54.16 | 1 |
| WA | $57.39–$65.67 | 2 |
| WI | $52.51 | 1 |
| WV | $49.59 | 1 |
| WY | $54.85 | 1 |
Compare 72050 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 $49.00 | Facility Unavailable |
| Alaska* | Office $61.96 | Facility Unavailable |
| Arizona | Office $53.56 | Facility Unavailable |
| Arkansas | Office $48.22 | Facility Unavailable |
| Atlanta | Office $56.07 | Facility Unavailable |
| Austin | Office $57.65 | Facility Unavailable |
| Bakersfield | Office $59.25 | Facility Unavailable |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office $58.80 | Facility Unavailable |
| Beaumont | Office $50.95 | Facility Unavailable |
| Brazoria | Office $54.55 | Facility Unavailable |
| Chicago | Office $56.70 | Facility Unavailable |
| Chico | Office $59.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Colorado | Office $57.90 | Facility Unavailable |
| Connecticut | Office $58.99 | Facility Unavailable |
| Dallas | Office $54.87 | Facility Unavailable |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office $63.78 | Facility Unavailable |
| Delaware | Office $54.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Detroit | Office $54.21 | Facility Unavailable |
| East St. Louis | Office $52.49 | Facility Unavailable |
| El Centro | Office $59.16 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office $56.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | Office $54.42 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fresno | Office $59.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Galveston | Office $54.69 | Facility Unavailable |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $59.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office $60.91 | Facility Unavailable |
| Houston | Office $55.24 | Facility Unavailable |
| Idaho | Office $50.95 | Facility Unavailable |
| Indiana | Office $51.28 | Facility Unavailable |
| Iowa | Office $50.65 | Facility Unavailable |
| Kansas | Office $50.25 | Facility Unavailable |
| Kentucky | Office $49.98 | Facility Unavailable |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $63.44 | Facility Unavailable |
| Madera | Office $59.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Manhattan | Office $63.61 | Facility Unavailable |
| Merced | Office $59.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office $64.17 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office $52.32 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office $57.32 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office $52.93 | Facility Unavailable |
| Miami | Office $58.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Minnesota | Office $55.72 | Facility Unavailable |
| Mississippi | Office $48.54 | Facility Unavailable |
| Modesto | Office $59.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Montana** | Office $55.11 | Facility Unavailable |
| Napa | Office $69.61 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nebraska | Office $50.99 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nevada** | Office $54.99 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Hampshire | Office $56.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Mexico | Office $51.54 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Orleans | Office $52.57 | Facility Unavailable |
| North Carolina | Office $51.71 | Facility Unavailable |
| North Dakota** | Office $54.52 | Facility Unavailable |
| Northern Nj | Office $62.99 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office $65.11 | Facility Unavailable |
| Ohio | Office $51.17 | Facility Unavailable |
| Oklahoma | Office $50.03 | Facility Unavailable |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $63.24 | Facility Unavailable |
| Portland | Office $60.04 | Facility Unavailable |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office $60.03 | Facility Unavailable |
| Puerto Rico | Office $55.60 | Facility Unavailable |
| Queens | Office $64.38 | Facility Unavailable |
| Redding | Office $59.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of California | Office $59.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Florida | Office $53.62 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office $50.40 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office $51.72 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office $49.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maine | Office $51.10 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office $55.66 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office $57.45 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office $51.29 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office $48.82 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office $59.74 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of New York | Office $52.54 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office $54.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office $51.33 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $52.70 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Washington | Office $57.39 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rhode Island | Office $56.67 | Facility Unavailable |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $59.48 | Facility Unavailable |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $62.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Salinas | Office $62.14 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $63.82 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $74.02 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $73.98 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $75.68 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $75.54 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $61.11 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $64.60 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $62.43 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $65.26 | Facility Unavailable |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office $65.67 | Facility Unavailable |
| South Carolina | Office $51.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| South Dakota** | Office $54.45 | Facility Unavailable |
| Southern Maine | Office $54.33 | Facility Unavailable |
| Stockton | Office $59.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| Suburban Chicago | Office $57.17 | Facility Unavailable |
| Tennessee | Office $50.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Utah | Office $52.28 | Facility Unavailable |
| Vallejo | Office $69.56 | Facility Unavailable |
| Vermont | Office $54.16 | Facility Unavailable |
| Virgin Islands | Office $55.60 | Facility Unavailable |
| Virginia | Office $54.04 | Facility Unavailable |
| Visalia | Office $59.15 | Facility Unavailable |
| West Virginia | Office $49.59 | Facility Unavailable |
| Wisconsin | Office $52.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Wyoming** | Office $54.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| Yuba City | Office $59.15 | Facility Unavailable |
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72050 billing questions
When should 72050 be chosen instead of 72040?
Use 72050 when four or five cervical spine views are obtained. Use 72040 for a cervical study with two or three views.
Does four views versus five views change the code?
No. Both four- and five-view cervical spine examinations fall within 72050; the documentation should show the views obtained.
How are the interpretation and imaging service billed?
Billing without a modifier represents the global service. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, while modifier TC identifies the technical service.
Can the professional and technical portions be billed separately?
Yes. The professional component and technical component may be reported separately with modifiers 26 and TC, respectively, when each portion is furnished and billed separately.
What documentation supports 72050?
The imaging record should identify the cervical spine examination and establish that four or five views were obtained. The interpretation should document the physician's findings.
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.
7,94072040,,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
7,94472050,26,X-ray exam neck spine 4/5vws,A,,0.26,0.11,,0.11,,0.02,0.39,0.39,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,94572050,TC,X-ray exam neck spine 4/5vws,A,,0.00,1.25,,1.25,NA,0.01,1.26,1.26,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,3.17,3.17,0.03
7,94672052,,X-ray exam neck spine 6/>vws,A,,0.29,1.56,,1.56,NA,0.03,1.88,1.88,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.30,3.30,0.04