Billing code 72125: Cervical spine CTMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $130.60 for 72125 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $115.99–$175.34.

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

What 72125 covers

Noncontrast cervical spine CT images the cervical vertebrae and surrounding bony structures with thin axial sections and routine sagittal and coronal reformats. Radiologists interpret these studies, commonly obtained in emergency departments after falls or motor vehicle collisions to assess acute fracture or alignment. Outpatient imaging centers also perform the exam to characterize bony canal or foraminal narrowing, evaluate a known fracture, or assess spinal fusion and hardware. The study is performed without IV contrast or intrathecal contrast in the spinal fluid.

Report 72125 for a noncontrast cervical spine CT; document the indication, scanned region, technique, and signed interpretation. Routine two-dimensional reformats are included. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation; modifier TC identifies the scanner and technologist. An unmodified claim represents both components. For hospital and emergency department exams, the radiologist generally reports modifier 26 while the hospital bills its technical service; a freestanding center bills globally only if it furnishes both components. The diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction can affect both components when additional qualifying imaging services are furnished to the same patient on the same date.

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 72125 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

72125 rates by state

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

How the 72125 rate is calculated

Each of 72125’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 72125

The CMS indicators that decide how 72125 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

When to use modifier 26

72125 compared with similar codes

How to choose

72126CT spine

Use 72126 when IV contrast is given or the scan follows intrathecal contrast for myelography; 72125 applies when no contrast is present during cervical spine CT.

72127Cervical spine CT

72127 requires a noncontrast series followed by a contrast series in the same session; a single noncontrast acquisition is 72125.

72141Cervical MRI

72141 is a cervical MRI without contrast, chosen for cord, ligament, and disc evaluation; 72125 is CT, chosen for bony detail and acute trauma.

72040Cervical spine X-ray

72040 is a plain radiograph series of the cervical spine; a diagnostic noncontrast cervical spine CT is 72125.

Codes related to 72125

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