CPT code 62290: Discography2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Alaska
Reports contrast injection into lumbar intervertebral discs to assess disc structure and help evaluate suspected disc-related low back pain.
Medicare pays $432.24 for 62290 in the office in Alaska (Alaska*). 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 62290 covers
A clinician places a needle into one or more lumbar intervertebral discs and injects contrast while imaging guides the procedure. The resulting disc appearance and the patient’s response can help evaluate a suspected discogenic source of persistent axial low back pain. Radiologists and interventional spine or pain specialists commonly perform discography in office or facility settings as part of diagnostic workup and treatment planning.
Report the service for each lumbar disc level injected; documentation should identify the levels, needle placement, contrast injection, and findings. When separately performed and documented, the radiological supervision and interpretation service is represented by 72295. The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. For procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% multiple-procedure reduction. Modifier 50 is inappropriate. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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.
62290 in Alaska*
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Alaska* | $432.24 | $190.00 |
How the 62290 rate is calculated
Each of 62290’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 · 62290
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work2.93
2.93 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense7.89
7.89 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.26
0.26 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
11.0800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$370.08
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 62290
The CMS indicators that decide how 62290 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 62290
Discography
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | 000 | Same-day global: pre- and post-op care on the day of the procedure is included. |
| Multiple procedures | 2 | Standard reduction: highest-valued procedure at 100%, others at 50%. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 1 | Not paid (statutory restriction). |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 0 | Physician service: no professional/technical split. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 51 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
62290 without 51 · national office
$370.08
Discography
62290-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$185.04
When this isn’t the highest-valued procedure in the session, Medicare pays 50% of its fee schedule amount (the highest is paid at 100%).
62290 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 62291Discography
- Use 62290 for lumbar discs; 62291 applies to cervical or thoracic discography.
- 62267Disc aspiration
- 62290 involves contrast injection for discography. 62267 describes percutaneous aspiration of disc material, not contrast discography.
- 72295Discography imaging
- 62290 reports the disc injection procedure. 72295 reports the radiological supervision and interpretation for lumbar discography.
62290 billing questions
How is 62290 distinguished from 62291?
62290 is for discography at lumbar levels. Use 62291 for cervical or thoracic levels.
Is the imaging interpretation reported with the injection?
When the radiological supervision and interpretation is performed and documented, 72295 represents the lumbar discography imaging service. The injection and imaging interpretation describe distinct parts of the procedure.
How many units should be reported?
Report the lumbar disc levels injected, with documentation identifying each level. When multiple procedures occur in the same session, the standard multiple-procedure reduction applies.
Can modifier 50 be used for multiple lumbar levels?
No. Modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code; document the individual lumbar levels treated.
What same-day services are included in the global period?
The 0-day global period includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service, and co-surgeons and team surgery are not permitted.
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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