$31.82
73551 describes one femur view. Use 73552 when two or more views are obtained.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
73551 Femur X-ray Medicare reimbursement rates in Alabama
A single-view femur radiograph evaluates the thigh bone for suspected fracture, pain, or another bone abnormality when one projection is obtained. Compare 73551 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alabama.
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 73551 in Alabama?
Alabama has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$26.18
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alabama
One mapped payment locality.
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.
Radiology
About 73551: Femur X-ray, one view
A single-view femur radiograph evaluates the thigh bone for suspected fracture, pain, or another bone abnormality when one projection is obtained.
This service is a radiograph of the femur acquired in a single projection. It is commonly ordered after trauma or for thigh pain, suspected fracture, or another concern involving the femoral bone. The study focuses on the femur rather than a joint-focused hip or knee examination. A technologist obtains the image in a hospital, imaging center, or office; a radiologist or other qualified physician interprets it and prepares a report.
Choose this code when the documented femur study consists of one view; use 73552 when two or more views are obtained. The order, imaging record, and report should support the body site, laterality, number of views, and clinical reason for the examination. The service may be billed globally, or separately for interpretation with modifier 26 and for the technical portion with modifier TC. When both femurs are imaged, CMS pays each side separately at 100%.
CMS billing rules for 73551
- 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.
- Bilateral procedures
- Each side is paid separately at 100% when performed bilaterally.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.16 · 18%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.70 · 80%
- Malpractice RVU0.02 · 2%
28.9K
Medicare services in 2024 · #986 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.
73551 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alabama, from the same CMS release.
Compare 73551 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Alabama →
Office / nonfacility
$26.18
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.
How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 73551 in Alabama.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
8,207
- Code
- 73551
- Physician work
- 0.16
- Practice expense
- 0.70
- Malpractice
- 0.02
GPCI2026.csv
4
- Locality
- Alabama
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.875
- Malpractice
- 0.566
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.16 | × 1.000 | 0.1600 |
| Practice expense | 0.70 | × 0.875 | 0.6125 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | × 0.566 | 0.0113 |
| Total RVUs | 0.7838 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Alabama$26.18
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.16 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 0.7 | 0.875 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | 0.566 |
(0.16 × 1 + 0.7 × 0.875 + 0.02 × 0.566) × $33.4009 = $26.18
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
73551 billing questions
When should 73551 be selected instead of 73552?
Use 73551 for a one-view femur study. When the examination includes two or more views, report 73552 instead.
Can the interpretation and image acquisition be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
How is a bilateral femur examination handled?
When both sides are imaged, CMS pays each side separately at 100%. Document the side examined for each service.
What documentation supports this code?
The record should identify the femur, laterality, single-view acquisition, and the reason for imaging. The interpretation report should support the professional service when modifier 26 is billed.
Should a hip or knee X-ray be reported instead?
Choose the code that matches the imaged anatomy and view count. A femur study evaluates the thigh bone; hip and knee codes describe examinations focused on those joints.
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.
8,20473525,,Contrast x-ray of hip,A,,0.53,3.41,,3.41,NA,0.05,3.99,3.99,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,10.92,10.92,0.07
8,20573525,26,Contrast x-ray of hip,A,,0.53,0.28,,0.28,,0.04,0.85,0.85,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,20673525,TC,Contrast x-ray of hip,A,,0.00,3.13,,3.13,NA,0.01,3.14,3.14,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,03,0,99,10.64,10.64,0.03
8,20773551,,X-ray exam of femur 1,A,,0.16,0.70,,0.70,NA,0.02,0.88,0.88,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,2.69,2.69,0.05
8,20873551,26,X-ray exam of femur 1,A,,0.16,0.07,,0.07,,0.01,0.24,0.24,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,20973551,TC,X-ray exam of femur 1,A,,0.00,0.63,,0.63,NA,0.01,0.64,0.64,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,2.62,2.62,0.04
8,21073552,,X-ray exam of femur 2/>,A,,0.18,0.87,,0.87,NA,0.02,1.07,1.07,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,2.70,2.70,0.04
1ADDENDUM E. FINAL CY 2026 GEOGRAPHIC PRACTICE COST INDICES (GPCIs) BY STATE AND MEDICARE LOCALITY,,,,,,
2,,,,,,
3Medicare Administrative Contractor (MAC),State,Locality Number,Locality Name,2026 PW GPCI (with 1.0 Floor)***,2026 PE GPCI,2026 MP GPCI
410112,AL,00,ALABAMA,1.000,0.875,0.566
502102,AK,01,ALASKA*,1.500,1.065,0.551
603102,AZ,00,ARIZONA,1.000,0.969,0.856
707102,AR,13,ARKANSAS,1.000,0.859,0.515