Billing code 72050: Neck spine X-rayMedicare rate & RVUs in Alabama
Reports cervical spine radiographs when four or five views are obtained to evaluate neck pain, alignment, or suspected bony changes.
Medicare pays $49.00 for 72050 in the office in Alabama (Alabama). Which amount applies depends on the service address.
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 9 sections
What 72050 covers
This service uses X-rays to image the cervical spine in four or five views. A radiologic technologist typically obtains the projections in an office imaging suite, outpatient radiology department, or hospital, and a physician—often a radiologist—interprets the images. Clinicians may request this examination when assessing neck pain, suspected degenerative changes, or cervical alignment. The views provide more coverage than a limited two- or three-view cervical study.
Select the code based on the cervical region and the number of views actually obtained; the report should support both. Billing without a modifier represents the global service, including the imaging equipment and staff as well as the interpretation. When those portions are billed separately, modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation and modifier TC identifies the technical service. The CMS fee schedule separately prices these modifiers.
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.
72050 in Alabama
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $49.00 | Unavailable |
How the 72050 rate is calculated
Each of 72050’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 · 72050
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.26
0.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.36
1.36 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.03
0.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.6500
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$55.11
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 72050
The CMS indicators that decide how 72050 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 72050
Neck spine X-ray
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 1 | Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 26 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
72050 without 26 · national office
$55.11
Neck spine X-ray
72050-26 · Professional component
$13.03
Pays only the interpretation and report.
72050 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 72040Cervical spine X-ray
- 72040 applies to a cervical spine study with two or three views; 72050 applies when four or five views are obtained.
- 72052Cervical X-ray
- Both codes cover cervical spine imaging, but 72052 is for six or more views rather than four or five.
- 72070Thoracic spine X-ray
- 72070 is for thoracic spine imaging. Choose 72050 when the imaged region is the cervical spine and four or five views are obtained.
72050 billing questions
When should 72050 be chosen instead of 72040?
Use 72050 when four or five cervical spine views are obtained. Use 72040 for a cervical study with two or three views.
Does four views versus five views change the code?
No. Both four- and five-view cervical spine examinations fall within 72050; the documentation should show the views obtained.
How are the interpretation and imaging service billed?
Billing without a modifier represents the global service. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, while modifier TC identifies the technical service.
Can the professional and technical portions be billed separately?
Yes. The professional component and technical component may be reported separately with modifiers 26 and TC, respectively, when each portion is furnished and billed separately.
What documentation supports 72050?
The imaging record should identify the cervical spine examination and establish that four or five views were obtained. The interpretation should document the physician's findings.
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
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