Billing code 77072: Bone ageMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports a radiographic assessment of skeletal maturity, commonly used in children when growth or endocrine evaluation calls for comparison with expected bone development.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities292 Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $25.38 for 77072 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $22.47–$33.89.

Medicare rate · 77072

Bone age

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
0.19
Total RVUs
0.76
Global days
XXX

National rate · 2026

$25.38

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 77072 → · 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 77072 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 77072 covers

A bone age study uses radiographic images, typically of the hand and wrist, to assess skeletal maturity. A radiologist or other qualified interpreting practitioner evaluates the images and estimates how developed the bones appear relative to expected maturation. Pediatricians and pediatric endocrinologists commonly request the study when evaluating growth concerns or disorders that can affect development. The clinical question is skeletal maturity, not bone density or the length of a limb.

Select this code when the service performed is a bone age assessment, and retain documentation supporting the reason for the study and the interpreting report. CMS recognizes a professional component for interpretation and a technical component for the equipment and staff; bill modifier 26 for the professional portion or modifier TC for the technical portion. Billing without either modifier represents the global service, including both components.

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 77072 pays more and less

The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.

109 payment localities

$22.47 to $33.89

$22.47$28.18$33.89
One dot per payment locality, office / nonfacility. Hover a dot to see the locality; select it to open that rate.

109 of 109 payment localities

77072 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$22.80Unavailable
Alaska*$29.45Unavailable
Arizona$24.72Unavailable
Arkansas$22.47Unavailable
Atlanta$25.83Unavailable
Austin$26.39Unavailable
Bakersfield$27.01Unavailable
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$26.99Unavailable
Beaumont$23.68Unavailable
Brazoria$25.12Unavailable

77072 rates by state

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

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.

$22.47

$30.42

Color shows the midpoint of each state’s locality range.

View every state and territory as a table
77072 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$29.451
AL$22.801
AR$22.471
AZ$24.721
CA$26.95–$33.8929
CO$26.491
CT$27.071
DC$29.071
DE$25.131
FL$24.91–$27.163
GA$23.53–$25.832
GU$27.621
HI$27.621
IA$23.421
ID$23.561
IL$24.16–$26.444
IN$23.701
KS$23.291
KY$23.291
LA$23.24–$24.392
MA$26.32–$29.142
MD$25.61–$29.073
ME$23.66–$24.972
MI$23.87–$25.202
MN$25.451
MO$22.83–$24.503
MS$22.661
MT$25.381
NC$23.911
ND$24.991
NE$23.551
NH$26.051
NJ$27.39–$28.772
NM$23.991
NV$25.291
NY$24.27–$29.845
OH$23.791
OK$23.271
OR$25.11–$27.352
PA$23.84–$26.382
PR$25.581
RI$26.041
SC$23.891
SD$24.941
TN$23.401
TX$23.68–$26.398
UT$24.211
VA$24.88–$29.072
VI$25.581
VT$24.871
WA$26.28–$29.752
WI$24.151
WV$23.271
WY$25.211

How the 77072 rate is calculated

Each of 77072’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 · 77072

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 0.19Practice expense 0.55Malpractice 0.02

0.7600 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$25.38

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 77072

The CMS indicators that decide how 77072 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 77072

Bone age

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodXXXThe global surgery concept doesn’t apply.
Multiple procedures0No multiple-procedure reduction.
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/technical1Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier 26 · payment effect

With and without the modifier

77072 without 26 · national office

$25.38

Bone age

77072-26 · Professional component

$9.02

Pays only the interpretation and report.

When to use modifier 26

77072 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

77072 vs 77073 vs 77074 vs 77080: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 77072
    Bone age · 0.19 wRVU
    $25.38
  • 77073
    Bone length study · 0.25 wRVU
    $46.43+$21.05
  • 77074
    Skeletal survey · 0.43 wRVU
    $64.80+$39.42
  • 77080
    DXA bone density scan · 0.2 wRVU
    $39.41+$14.03

How to choose

77073Bone length study
Choose 77072 when the clinical question is skeletal maturity; choose 77073 when imaging is intended to assess bone length.
77074Skeletal survey
77074 is a limited osseous survey, used to survey bones for a different diagnostic question; 77072 assesses skeletal maturity.
77080DXA bone density scan
77080 is an axial DXA bone-density study. It measures bone density rather than estimating skeletal maturity from radiographs.

77072 billing questions

How is a bone age study different from a bone length study?

This code represents assessment of skeletal maturity. Use 77073 when the requested imaging evaluates bone length, such as in a limb-length assessment.

When should modifier 26 or TC be reported?

Use modifier 26 for the professional interpretation or modifier TC for the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.

What documentation supports reporting this study?

Keep the clinical reason for assessing skeletal maturity and the interpreting report. The report should document the findings relevant to the bone age assessment.

Is this a bone-density test?

No. This study assesses skeletal maturity from radiographs; bone-density studies such as DXA evaluate bone mineral density.

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 77072PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 8,986 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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