$181.35
73221 is for an upper-extremity joint MRI without contrast; 73222 is for the contrast-enhanced joint study.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
73222 Joint MRI Medicare reimbursement rates in Arkansas
Reports MRI evaluation of an upper-extremity joint after contrast administration, commonly for focused assessment of structures such as the shoulder labrum or wrist cartilage. Compare 73222 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Arkansas.
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 73222 in Arkansas?
Arkansas 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
$274.73
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Arkansas
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 73222: Upper extremity joint MRI with contrast
Reports MRI evaluation of an upper-extremity joint after contrast administration, commonly for focused assessment of structures such as the shoulder labrum or wrist cartilage.
This service captures MRI images of a specific upper-extremity joint after contrast is administered, often as a direct MR arthrogram when contrast is placed into the joint. It can help assess structures such as the shoulder labrum or wrist cartilage when internal derangement is suspected. A radiology team performs image acquisition, and a qualified physician interprets the study in hospital or outpatient imaging settings.
Select this code for a contrast-enhanced, joint-focused examination, not an MRI of the broader arm or hand region or a joint study using both pre- and post-contrast sequences. Documentation should identify the joint and side, clinical indication, contrast-enhanced acquisition, and interpretation. CMS permits global billing or separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. When multiple diagnostic imaging services are performed, the multiple-procedure reduction applies to both components. For bilateral examinations, each side is paid separately at 100%.
CMS billing rules for 73222
- 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.
- Multiple procedures
- Diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to the technical and professional components.
- Bilateral procedures
- Each side is paid separately at 100% when performed bilaterally.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.58 · 17%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.67 · 82%
- Malpractice RVU0.11 · 1%
14.7K
Medicare services in 2024 · #1264 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.
73222 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Arkansas, from the same CMS release.
$337.26
73223 applies when the joint is imaged both before and after contrast. Choose 73222 when the examination is performed with contrast only.
$289.36
73219 describes MRI of an upper-extremity region with contrast, not a joint-focused MRI. Use 73222 when the target is a specific joint.
Compare 73222 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
Arkansas →
Office / nonfacility
$274.73
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 73222 in Arkansas.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
8,177
- Code
- 73222
- Physician work
- 1.58
- Practice expense
- 7.67
- Malpractice
- 0.11
GPCI2026.csv
7
- Locality
- Arkansas
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.859
- Malpractice
- 0.515
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.58 | × 1.000 | 1.5800 |
| Practice expense | 7.67 | × 0.859 | 6.5885 |
| Malpractice | 0.11 | × 0.515 | 0.0566 |
| Total RVUs | 8.2252 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Arkansas$274.73
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.58 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 7.67 | 0.859 |
| Malpractice | 0.11 | 0.515 |
(1.58 × 1 + 7.67 × 0.859 + 0.11 × 0.515) × $33.4009 = $274.73
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.
73222 billing questions
How does this differ from 73223?
Use 73222 for the contrast-enhanced joint MRI. Code 73223 describes a joint MRI performed both before and after contrast.
When should 73221 be used instead?
Use 73221 for an upper-extremity joint MRI without contrast. Use 73222 when the joint study is performed with contrast.
Is a joint injection included in this code?
This code identifies the MRI service. A separately performed injection for arthrography may be reported under the appropriate injection code when documentation and coding requirements are met.
Can the professional and technical portions be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 reports the professional interpretation, and modifier TC reports the technical service; billing without either modifier represents the global service.
How is a bilateral examination paid?
CMS pays each side separately at 100%. Documentation should identify the joint examined on each side.
What documentation supports choosing 73222?
Document the specific joint and side, the clinical reason for imaging, use of contrast, and the imaging interpretation.
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.
8,17473221,,Mri joint upr extrem w/o dye,A,,1.32,4.73,,4.73,NA,0.09,6.14,6.14,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,7.76,7.76,0.10
8,17573221,26,Mri joint upr extrem w/o dye,A,,1.32,0.50,,0.50,,0.07,1.89,1.89,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,17673221,TC,Mri joint upr extrem w/o dye,A,,0.00,4.23,,4.23,NA,0.02,4.25,4.25,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,88,7.26,7.26,0.03
8,17773222,,Mri joint upr extrem w/dye,A,,1.58,7.67,,7.67,NA,0.11,9.36,9.36,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,24.47,24.47,0.18
8,17873222,26,Mri joint upr extrem w/dye,A,,1.58,0.59,,0.59,,0.08,2.25,2.25,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,17973222,TC,Mri joint upr extrem w/dye,A,,0.00,7.08,,7.08,NA,0.03,7.11,7.11,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,23.88,23.88,0.10
8,18073223,,Mri joint upr extr w/o&w/dye,A,,2.10,9.22,,9.22,NA,0.15,11.47,11.47,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,11.39,11.39,0.16
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
901112,CA,55,CHICO,1.017,1.096,0.536
1001182,CA,71,EL CENTRO,1.017,1.096,0.541