Billing code 97012: Mechanical tractionMedicare rate & RVUs

Medicare pays $14.36 for 97012 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $13.35–$18.61.

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

What 97012 covers

Mechanical traction uses a device to apply a pulling force to a body region, commonly the cervical or lumbar spine. Physical therapists and other qualified therapy professionals may use it during outpatient rehabilitation for conditions such as neck or low-back pain or radiating symptoms. The device may provide sustained or intermittent traction; this code distinguishes device-applied treatment from hands-on manual traction. It is a modality rather than an active exercise service.

Report the service when mechanical traction is actually provided and supported by the treatment plan. Documentation should identify the treated region, the clinical rationale, relevant device settings or application method, and the patient’s response. This is not a timed, 15-minute service; therapy coding guidance generally treats it as one unit per treatment date. The professional component modifier does not apply. Under the therapy multiple procedure payment reduction, CMS reduces practice expense for the second and later therapy units on the same day; the reduction can affect this service when it falls in that group.

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 97012 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

97012 rates by state

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

How the 97012 rate is calculated

Each of 97012’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 97012

The CMS indicators that decide how 97012 is paid alongside other services.

What modifiers do to the payment

97012 compared with similar codes

How to choose

97140Manual therapy

Choose 97012 when a mechanical device applies traction. Choose 97140 for qualifying hands-on manual therapy, including manual traction.

97110Therapeutic exercise

97012 describes device-applied traction; 97110 describes therapeutic exercises. A visit may include both when each service is performed and documented separately.

97014Electric stimulation therapy

97012 is mechanical traction, while 97014 is electrical stimulation therapy. Select the code for the modality actually furnished.

Codes related to 97012

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