97026
No office rateInfrared therapy
97028 is for ultraviolet light; 97026 is for infrared. Choose according to the light modality applied.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
97028 Light therapy Medicare reimbursement rates in Alaska
Reports ultraviolet light applied as a therapeutic modality to one or more areas during a documented rehabilitation or treatment session. Compare 97028 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Alaska.
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 97028 in Alaska?
Alaska 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
$9.88
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Alaska*
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.
Physical therapy
About 97028: Ultraviolet light therapy
Reports ultraviolet light applied as a therapeutic modality to one or more areas during a documented rehabilitation or treatment session.
This code covers therapeutic application of ultraviolet light to one or more treatment areas. Physical therapists and other qualified therapy professionals may use it as a modality within a plan of care, including for a documented skin or tissue condition. The record should identify the treated area, the reason for treatment, and the ultraviolet intervention provided.
Report the service for the ultraviolet modality actually delivered, not for infrared, ultrasound, or another physical agent. It is an untimed modality, so report one unit for the treatment session rather than counting 15-minute increments. Documentation should support the clinical purpose and distinguish the modality from other services furnished that day. CMS treats it as a therapy service without a professional-component modifier split. Under the therapy multiple procedure payment reduction, practice expense is reduced for the second and later therapy units furnished on the same day.
CMS billing rules for 97028
- Professional and technical components
- Therapy service: the professional component modifier does not apply.
- Multiple procedures
- Therapy multiple procedure payment reduction: practice expense is reduced for the second and later therapy units on the same day.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.08 · 32%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.16 · 64%
- Malpractice RVU0.01 · 4%
7.4K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1628 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.
97028 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Alaska, from the same CMS release.
$8.53
97024 represents diathermy, such as microwave treatment, rather than ultraviolet light application.
$18.18
97035 is therapeutic ultrasound; use 97028 only when ultraviolet light is the modality delivered.
Compare 97028 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
Alaska* →
Office / nonfacility
$9.88
Facility
Unavailable
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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 97028 in Alaska*.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
12,851
- Code
- 97028
- Physician work
- 0.08
- Practice expense
- 0.16
- Malpractice
- 0.01
GPCI2026.csv
5
- Locality
- Alaska*
- Physician work
- 1.500
- Practice expense
- 1.065
- Malpractice
- 0.551
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.08 | × 1.500 | 0.1200 |
| Practice expense | 0.16 | × 1.065 | 0.1704 |
| Malpractice | 0.01 | × 0.551 | 0.0055 |
| Total RVUs | 0.2959 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Alaska*$9.88
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.08 | 1.5 |
| Practice expense | 0.16 | 1.065 |
| Malpractice | 0.01 | 0.551 |
(0.08 × 1.5 + 0.16 × 1.065 + 0.01 × 0.551) × $33.4009 = $9.88
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.
97028 billing questions
How is this different from infrared therapy?
97028 represents ultraviolet application. Use 97026 when infrared is the modality actually delivered.
Is 97028 billed in 15-minute units?
No. It is an untimed modality; report one unit for the treatment session, not units based on elapsed time.
Should modifier 26 be appended?
No. CMS identifies this as a therapy service for which the professional-component modifier does not apply.
What documentation supports the service?
Record the clinical purpose, the area treated, and that ultraviolet light was applied. The documentation should distinguish it from any other modality performed during the visit.
How does the therapy multiple procedure reduction affect payment?
When multiple therapy units are furnished on the same day, CMS reduces practice expense for the second and later units.
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.
12,84897022,,Whirlpool therapy,A,,0.17,0.29,,0.29,NA,0.01,0.47,0.47,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,5,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,84997024,,Diathermy eg microwave,A,,0.06,0.15,,0.15,NA,0.01,0.22,0.22,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,5,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,85097026,,Infrared therapy,R,,0.06,0.13,,0.13,NA,0.01,0.20,0.20,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,5,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,85197028,,Ultraviolet therapy,A,,0.08,0.16,,0.16,NA,0.01,0.25,0.25,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,5,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,85297032,,Appl modality 1+estim ea 15,A,,0.25,0.18,,0.18,NA,0.01,0.44,0.44,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,5,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,85397033,,App mdlty 1+iontphrsis ea 15,A,,0.26,0.30,,0.30,NA,0.01,0.57,0.57,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,5,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
12,85497034,,App mdlty 1+cntrst bth ea 15,A,,0.21,0.20,,0.20,NA,0.01,0.42,0.42,7,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,5,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
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
801112,CA,54,BAKERSFIELD,1.019,1.096,0.609