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Billing code 97033: IontophoresisMedicare rate & RVUs

Reports therapist-administered iontophoresis that uses electrical current to deliver medication through the skin during a timed rehabilitation treatment.

CMS RVU26DEffective Oct 1, 2026109 payment localities29.4K Medicare services in 2024

Medicare pays $19.04 for 97033 nationally in the office. Local office rates run $17.46–$24.27.

Medicare rate · 97033

Iontophoresis

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work RVUs
0.26
Total RVUs
0.57
Global days
XXX

National rate · 2026

$19.04

Office setting, before claim adjustments.

See every locality for 97033 → · 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 97033 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 97033 covers

Iontophoresis uses an electrical current to move a prescribed medication through the skin to a localized treatment area, often over an extremity with soft-tissue inflammation. Physical therapists and occupational therapists commonly provide it in outpatient rehabilitation settings; dexamethasone is one medication used for this purpose. The service is selected for medication delivery through the skin, not simply because electrical equipment is used during treatment.

Report one unit for each 15 minutes of treatment, supported by documentation of the treatment area, medication, skilled application, and time. Do not count the same treatment minutes toward another timed service. CMS treats this as a therapy service, so a professional-component modifier does not apply. When multiple therapy units are furnished on the same day, CMS reduces practice expense for the second and subsequent units.

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 97033 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

$17.46 to $24.27

$17.46$20.87$24.27
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

97033 office and facility rates by payment locality
Payment localityOfficeFacility
Alabama$17.64Unavailable
Alaska*$23.88Unavailable
Arizona$18.68Unavailable
Arkansas$17.46Unavailable
Atlanta$19.29Unavailable
Austin$19.60Unavailable
Bakersfield$20.03Unavailable
Baltimore/Surr. Cntys$19.99Unavailable
Beaumont$18.11Unavailable
Brazoria$18.94Unavailable

97033 rates by state

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

MEWIVTNHMTNDMNMINYMARIWAIDWYSDIAILINOHPANJCTORNVUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDECAAZNMKSOKARTNNCSCDCTXLAMSALGAFLAKHI

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.

$17.46

$23.88

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

View every state and territory as a table
97033 office rate range by state
State / territoryOffice rate rangeLocalities
AK$23.881
AL$17.641
AR$17.461
AZ$18.681
CA$19.99–$24.2729
CO$19.711
CT$20.051
DC$21.331
DE$18.931
FL$18.77–$19.963
GA$18.02–$19.292
GU$20.271
HI$20.271
IA$17.991
ID$18.061
IL$18.35–$19.634
IN$18.141
KS$17.911
KY$17.901
LA$17.87–$18.492
MA$19.64–$21.302
MD$19.22–$21.333
ME$18.11–$18.832
MI$18.21–$18.922
MN$19.091
MO$17.65–$18.563
MS$17.561
MT$19.041
NC$18.251
ND$18.841
NE$18.061
NH$19.411
NJ$20.34–$21.212
NM$18.271
NV$18.991
NY$18.44–$21.775
OH$18.171
OK$17.891
OR$18.90–$20.202
PA$18.20–$19.672
PR$19.141
RI$19.501
SC$18.231
SD$18.821
TN$17.971
TX$18.11–$19.608
UT$18.401
VA$18.77–$21.332
VI$19.141
VT$18.771
WA$19.60–$21.692
WI$18.391
WV$17.871
WY$18.951

How the 97033 rate is calculated

Each of 97033’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 · 97033

RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

Work 0.26Practice expense 0.30Malpractice 0.01

0.5700 adjusted RVUs×$33.4009 conversion factor=$19.04

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

Payment rules and modifiers for 97033

The CMS indicators that decide how 97033 is paid alongside other services.

CMS payment indicators · 97033

Iontophoresis

RuleCMS valueWhat it means
Global periodXXXThe global surgery concept doesn’t apply.
Multiple procedures5Therapy reduction: practice expense of the second and later units is reduced.
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/technical7Therapy service: the split doesn’t apply.

What modifiers do to the payment

Modifier CQ · payment effect

With and without the modifier

97033 without CQ · national office

$19.04

Iontophoresis

97033-CQ · Allowed amount unchanged

$19.04

Medicare cuts its own payment by 15% after the patient’s 20% coinsurance; the allowed amount stays the same. On $100 allowed: $20 coinsurance, then Medicare pays $68 instead of $80.

97033 compared with similar codes

Compare codes

97033 vs 97032 vs 97034 vs 97035: national Medicare rates

Swap in your local Medicare rate.

  • 97033
    Iontophoresis · 0.26 wRVU
    $19.04
  • 97032
    Electrical stimulation · 0.25 wRVU
    $14.70−$4.34
  • 97034
    Contrast baths · 0.21 wRVU
    $14.03−$5.01
  • 97035
    Therapeutic ultrasound · 0.21 wRVU
    $14.36−$4.68

How to choose

97032Electrical stimulation
97032 describes attended electrical stimulation. Use 97033 when the current is used to deliver medication through the skin.
97034Contrast baths
97034 is for contrast-bath treatment. It does not describe medication delivery through the skin by electrical current.
97035Therapeutic ultrasound
97035 describes therapeutic ultrasound. Use 97033 for iontophoresis medication delivery, not ultrasound treatment.

Codes related to 97033

Related codes aren’t interchangeable: bill the code that matches the service performed.

Codes related to 97033
CodeHow it relatesNational office range
Often billed with
97110Therapeutic exerciseMay be reported for separately timed therapeutic exercise in the same rehabilitation encounter.$26.97–$37.31
97140Manual therapyMay accompany separately timed manual therapy during the same rehabilitation encounter.$25.72–$35.60
97530Therapeutic activitiesMay accompany separately timed therapeutic activities in the same rehabilitation encounter.$32.08–$45.39

97033 billing questions

How is this different from electrical stimulation?

Iontophoresis delivers medication through the skin using current. Report 97032 when the service is attended electrical stimulation rather than transdermal medication delivery.

How many units should be reported?

Each unit represents 15 minutes of iontophoresis treatment. Document the treatment time and do not count minutes already assigned to another timed service.

What documentation supports the service?

Record the medication, treatment area, skilled application, and time spent providing iontophoresis. The record should support why medication delivery by this method was part of the rehabilitation treatment.

Should a professional-component modifier be appended?

No. CMS identifies this as a therapy service for which a professional-component modifier does not apply.

How does the therapy multiple procedure reduction affect payment?

CMS reduces practice expense for the second and later therapy units furnished on the same day. The reduction applies to practice expense, not as a reduction to the documented treatment time.

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 97033PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv, line 12,853 (RVU26D)

Open CMS sourceHow we calculate rates

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