$149.46–$227.31
72131 is for lumbar CT without contrast; 72132 is for lumbar CT with contrast.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
72131 Lumbar CT Medicare reimbursement rates
Reports CT imaging of the lumbar spine without contrast, commonly selected to assess vertebral fractures, bony anatomy, or spinal hardware. Compare 72131 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 72131?
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
$115.42–$174.37
109 of 109 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Arkansas
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $58.95 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 72131 pays more and less
109 payment localities
$115.42 to $174.37
Diagnostic imaging
About 72131: Lumbar spine CT without contrast
Reports CT imaging of the lumbar spine without contrast, commonly selected to assess vertebral fractures, bony anatomy, or spinal hardware.
This service uses computed tomography to produce cross-sectional images of the lumbar spine without administered contrast. It is commonly used to evaluate suspected vertebral fracture, define bony anatomy, or assess spinal instrumentation. A technologist performs the scan in a hospital or outpatient imaging center, and a radiologist or other qualified physician interprets the images. The clinical order and report should identify the lumbar region and the diagnostic question addressed.
Choose this code when the documented examination is a lumbar spine CT without contrast; use a contrast-specific code when the protocol includes contrast. The global service includes image acquisition and interpretation. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, while modifier TC identifies the technical service, including equipment and staff. CMS applies the diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction to both the technical and professional components when applicable. Documentation should support the body region, contrast protocol, and interpretation.
CMS billing rules for 72131
- 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.
- Multiple procedures
- Diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to the technical and professional components.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.98 · 25%
- Practice expense (office) RVU2.84 · 73%
- Malpractice RVU0.07 · 2%
566.3K
Medicare services in 2024 · #211 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.
72131 compared with similar codes
Office rate ranges across all CMS payment localities, from the same CMS release.
$173.80–$267.21
72133 describes lumbar CT performed both without and with contrast. Do not use it for a study performed only without contrast.
$170.32–$257.47
72148 is lumbar MRI without contrast, not CT. Select between them according to the imaging modality performed.
$35.48–$55.34
72100 reports lumbar radiographs with two or three views. It is not the cross-sectional CT service represented by 72131.
See how rates vary across the country
72131 · 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.
$115.42
$156.44
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 | $151.41 | 1 |
| AL | $117.06 | 1 |
| AR | $115.42 | 1 |
| AZ | $126.65 | 1 |
| CA | $138.51–$174.37 | 29 |
| CO | $135.88 | 1 |
| CT | $138.38 | 1 |
| DC | $148.85 | 1 |
| DE | $128.72 | 1 |
| FL | $126.93–$137.39 | 3 |
| GA | $120.13–$132.02 | 2 |
| GU | $141.94 | 1 |
| HI | $141.94 | 1 |
| IA | $120.46 | 1 |
| ID | $121.11 | 1 |
| IL | $122.99–$134.52 | 4 |
| IN | $121.80 | 1 |
| KS | $119.66 | 1 |
| KY | $119.20 | 1 |
| LA | $118.92–$124.65 | 2 |
| MA | $135.01–$149.42 | 2 |
| MD | $131.20–$148.85 | 3 |
| ME | $121.46–$128.21 | 2 |
| MI | $121.98–$128.21 | 2 |
| MN | $131.03 | 1 |
| MO | $116.78–$125.38 | 3 |
| MS | $116.13 | 1 |
| MT | $129.92 | 1 |
| NC | $122.73 | 1 |
| ND | $128.54 | 1 |
| NE | $121.17 | 1 |
| NH | $133.53 | 1 |
| NJ | $140.19–$147.33 | 2 |
| NM | $122.53 | 1 |
| NV | $129.63 | 1 |
| NY | $124.49–$151.96 | 5 |
| OH | $121.70 | 1 |
| OK | $119.26 | 1 |
| OR | $128.86–$140.38 | 2 |
| PA | $122.02–$134.86 | 2 |
| PR | $130.94 | 1 |
| RI | $133.43 | 1 |
| SC | $122.37 | 1 |
| SD | $128.38 | 1 |
| TN | $120.21 | 1 |
| TX | $121.23–$135.23 | 8 |
| UT | $124.00 | 1 |
| VA | $127.63–$148.85 | 2 |
| VI | $130.94 | 1 |
| VT | $127.83 | 1 |
| WA | $134.82–$152.67 | 2 |
| WI | $124.33 | 1 |
| WV | $118.51 | 1 |
| WY | $129.32 | 1 |
Compare 72131 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 $117.06 | Facility Unavailable |
| Alaska* | Office $151.41 | Facility Unavailable |
| Arizona | Office $126.65 | Facility Unavailable |
| Arkansas | Office $115.42 | Facility Unavailable |
| Atlanta | Office $132.02 | Facility Unavailable |
| Austin | Office $135.23 | Facility Unavailable |
| Bakersfield | Office $138.74 | Facility Unavailable |
| Baltimore/Surr. Cntys | Office $137.93 | Facility Unavailable |
| Beaumont | Office $121.23 | Facility Unavailable |
| Brazoria | Office $128.82 | Facility Unavailable |
| Chicago | Office $133.66 | Facility Unavailable |
| Chico | Office $138.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Colorado | Office $135.88 | Facility Unavailable |
| Connecticut | Office $138.38 | Facility Unavailable |
| Dallas | Office $129.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | Office $148.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| Delaware | Office $128.72 | Facility Unavailable |
| Detroit | Office $128.21 | Facility Unavailable |
| East St. Louis | Office $124.71 | Facility Unavailable |
| El Centro | Office $138.52 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fort Lauderdale | Office $133.05 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | Office $128.59 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fresno | Office $138.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Galveston | Office $129.13 | Facility Unavailable |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $138.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Hawaii, Guam | Office $141.94 | Facility Unavailable |
| Houston | Office $130.41 | Facility Unavailable |
| Idaho | Office $121.11 | Facility Unavailable |
| Indiana | Office $121.80 | Facility Unavailable |
| Iowa | Office $120.46 | Facility Unavailable |
| Kansas | Office $119.66 | Facility Unavailable |
| Kentucky | Office $119.20 | Facility Unavailable |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $147.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| Madera | Office $138.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Manhattan | Office $148.76 | Facility Unavailable |
| Merced | Office $138.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Boston | Office $149.42 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Kansas City | Office $124.09 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan Philadelphia | Office $134.86 | Facility Unavailable |
| Metropolitan St. Louis | Office $125.38 | Facility Unavailable |
| Miami | Office $137.39 | Facility Unavailable |
| Minnesota | Office $131.03 | Facility Unavailable |
| Mississippi | Office $116.13 | Facility Unavailable |
| Modesto | Office $138.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Montana** | Office $129.92 | Facility Unavailable |
| Napa | Office $161.01 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nebraska | Office $121.17 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nevada** | Office $129.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Hampshire | Office $133.53 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Mexico | Office $122.53 | Facility Unavailable |
| New Orleans | Office $124.65 | Facility Unavailable |
| North Carolina | Office $122.73 | Facility Unavailable |
| North Dakota** | Office $128.54 | Facility Unavailable |
| Northern Nj | Office $147.33 | Facility Unavailable |
| Nyc Suburbs/Long Island | Office $151.96 | Facility Unavailable |
| Ohio | Office $121.70 | Facility Unavailable |
| Oklahoma | Office $119.26 | Facility Unavailable |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $147.23 | Facility Unavailable |
| Portland | Office $140.38 | Facility Unavailable |
| Poughkpsie/N Nyc Suburbs | Office $140.91 | Facility Unavailable |
| Puerto Rico | Office $130.94 | Facility Unavailable |
| Queens | Office $150.32 | Facility Unavailable |
| Redding | Office $138.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of California | Office $138.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Florida | Office $126.93 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Georgia | Office $120.13 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Illinois | Office $122.99 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Louisiana | Office $118.92 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maine | Office $121.46 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Maryland | Office $131.20 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | Office $135.01 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Michigan | Office $121.98 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Missouri | Office $116.78 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of New Jersey | Office $140.19 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of New York | Office $124.49 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Oregon | Office $128.86 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Pennsylvania | Office $122.02 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | Office $124.86 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of Washington | Office $134.82 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rhode Island | Office $133.43 | Facility Unavailable |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $139.28 | Facility Unavailable |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $145.48 | Facility Unavailable |
| Salinas | Office $144.94 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $148.43 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $170.67 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $170.59 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $174.37 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $174.05 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $142.59 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $149.93 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $145.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $151.45 | Facility Unavailable |
| Seattle (King Cnty) | Office $152.67 | Facility Unavailable |
| South Carolina | Office $122.37 | Facility Unavailable |
| South Dakota** | Office $128.38 | Facility Unavailable |
| Southern Maine | Office $128.21 | Facility Unavailable |
| Stockton | Office $138.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Suburban Chicago | Office $134.52 | Facility Unavailable |
| Tennessee | Office $120.21 | Facility Unavailable |
| Utah | Office $124.00 | Facility Unavailable |
| Vallejo | Office $160.89 | Facility Unavailable |
| Vermont | Office $127.83 | Facility Unavailable |
| Virgin Islands | Office $130.94 | Facility Unavailable |
| Virginia | Office $127.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Visalia | Office $138.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| West Virginia | Office $118.51 | Facility Unavailable |
| Wisconsin | Office $124.33 | Facility Unavailable |
| Wyoming** | Office $129.32 | Facility Unavailable |
| Yuba City | Office $138.51 | Facility Unavailable |
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
72131 billing questions
When should this code be selected instead of 72132?
Use 72131 for a lumbar spine CT performed without contrast. Code 72132 is for the examination with contrast.
Can 72131 be reported with 72133 for the same examination?
72133 represents a lumbar CT performed without and with contrast. Select the code that matches the examination performed rather than reporting 72131 as an additional phase.
What do modifiers 26 and TC identify?
Modifier 26 identifies the physician's professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
How does the multiple procedure reduction affect this service?
The diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to both the technical and professional components. It can therefore affect the applicable component claims when multiple imaging procedures are performed.
What documentation supports reporting 72131?
The record should identify the lumbar spine as the imaged region, show that the examination was performed without contrast, and include the diagnostic interpretation.
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.
8,00072130,,Ct chest spine w/o & w/dye,A,,1.24,4.60,,4.60,NA,0.09,5.93,5.93,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,5.78,5.78,0.10
8,00172130,26,Ct chest spine w/o & w/dye,A,,1.24,0.44,,0.44,,0.07,1.75,1.75,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,00272130,TC,Ct chest spine w/o & w/dye,A,,0.00,4.16,,4.16,NA,0.02,4.18,4.18,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,5.34,5.34,0.03
8,00372131,,Ct lumbar spine w/o dye,A,,0.98,2.84,,2.84,NA,0.07,3.89,3.89,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,3.53,3.53,0.07
8,00472131,26,Ct lumbar spine w/o dye,A,,0.98,0.35,,0.35,,0.06,1.39,1.39,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,00572131,TC,Ct lumbar spine w/o dye,A,,0.00,2.49,,2.49,NA,0.01,2.50,2.50,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,88,3.18,3.18,0.01
8,00672132,,Ct lumbar spine w/dye,A,,1.19,3.77,,3.77,NA,0.09,5.05,5.05,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,11.03,11.03,0.13