$202.99–$255.54
72146 is for a thoracic MRI performed without contrast only; use 72157 when the study includes both precontrast and postcontrast imaging.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
72157 Thoracic MRI Medicare reimbursement rates in California
Reports thoracic spine MRI images acquired before and after contrast, commonly used to evaluate spinal cord, nerve, or vertebral abnormalities. Compare 72157 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in California.
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 72157 in California?
California has 29 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 29 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$340.36–$429.92
29 of 29 localities have a supported rate.
Lowest: Chico
Highest: San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty)
A spread of $89.56 per service.
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.
Where 72157 pays more and less in California
29 payment localities
$340.36 to $429.92
Diagnostic imaging
About 72157: Thoracic spine MRI without and with contrast
Reports thoracic spine MRI images acquired before and after contrast, commonly used to evaluate spinal cord, nerve, or vertebral abnormalities.
This service covers MRI imaging of the thoracic spine, the mid-back portion of the spine, with images obtained before and after contrast administration. A radiologic technologist performs the image acquisition in an imaging center or hospital department; a radiologist interprets the study. Clinical uses can include evaluating suspected spinal cord or nerve abnormalities, tumors, infection, or changes after thoracic spine surgery when both contrast phases are requested and performed.
Report one study when the examination includes both the noncontrast and postcontrast imaging phases. The order and report should support the thoracic region examined, the use of both phases, and the clinical indication. CMS permits separate professional and technical component billing: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff, and billing without either modifier represents the global service. When multiple diagnostic imaging services are performed, CMS's imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to both the professional and technical components.
CMS billing rules for 72157
- 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.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU2.23 · 23%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.15 · 75%
- Malpractice RVU0.16 · 2%
111.6K
Medicare services in 2024 · #526 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.
72157 compared with similar codes
Office rates for California, from the same CMS release.
$290.42–$368.17
72147 describes a thoracic MRI performed with contrast only. Select 72157 when the examination includes both noncontrast and postcontrast phases.
$212.13–$269.14
72130 is a thoracic spine CT performed without and with contrast. Choose between it and 72157 according to whether the performed study is CT or MRI.
$339.63–$428.95
72156 uses the same without-and-with-contrast MRI approach for the cervical spine; 72157 is for the thoracic spine.
Compare 72157 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.
29 of 29 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Bakersfield | Office $340.90 | Facility Unavailable |
| Chico | Office $340.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| El Centro | Office $340.38 | Facility Unavailable |
| Fresno | Office $340.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Hanford-Corcoran | Office $340.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim (Los Angeles/Orange Cnty) | Office $363.61 | Facility Unavailable |
| Madera | Office $340.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Merced | Office $340.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Modesto | Office $340.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Napa | Office $396.65 | Facility Unavailable |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura | Office $362.18 | Facility Unavailable |
| Redding | Office $340.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Rest Of California | Office $340.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario | Office $342.13 | Facility Unavailable |
| Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom | Office $357.77 | Facility Unavailable |
| Salinas | Office $356.45 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad | Office $365.24 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (Marin Cnty) | Office $420.74 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (San Francisco/San Mateo/Alameda/Contra Costa Cnty) | Office $420.56 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (San Benito Cnty) | Office $429.92 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (Santa Clara Cnty) | Office $429.17 | Facility Unavailable |
| San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles | Office $350.63 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Cruz-Watsonville | Office $369.07 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Maria-Santa Barbara | Office $357.89 | Facility Unavailable |
| Santa Rosa-Petaluma | Office $372.85 | Facility Unavailable |
| Stockton | Office $340.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Vallejo | Office $396.39 | Facility Unavailable |
| Visalia | Office $340.36 | Facility Unavailable |
| Yuba City | Office $340.36 | Facility Unavailable |
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72157 billing questions
When is this code used instead of 72146 or 72147?
Use 72157 when the thoracic MRI includes imaging both before and after contrast. Code 72146 describes a thoracic MRI without contrast, while 72147 describes one with contrast only.
Should the noncontrast and postcontrast phases be reported as two MRI codes?
No. For one thoracic MRI study performed both without and with contrast, report 72157 rather than separately reporting 72146 and 72147.
How are the interpretation and image acquisition billed?
Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Report the global service without either modifier when billing both components together.
Does the multiple imaging reduction affect both components?
Yes. CMS applies the diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction to both the professional and technical components.
What should the documentation support?
The order and report should identify the thoracic spine, document that images were obtained before and after contrast, and support the clinical reason for the examination.
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.
8,03072156,,Mri neck spine w/o & w/dye,A,,2.23,7.13,,7.13,NA,0.16,9.52,9.52,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,11.42,11.42,0.18
8,03172156,26,Mri neck spine w/o & w/dye,A,,2.23,0.80,,0.80,,0.13,3.16,3.16,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,03272156,TC,Mri neck spine w/o & w/dye,A,,0.00,6.33,,6.33,NA,0.03,6.36,6.36,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,10.62,10.62,0.05
8,03372157,,Mri chest spine w/o & w/dye,A,,2.23,7.15,,7.15,NA,0.16,9.54,9.54,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,11.42,11.42,0.18
8,03472157,26,Mri chest spine w/o & w/dye,A,,2.23,0.80,,0.80,,0.13,3.16,3.16,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,03572157,TC,Mri chest spine w/o & w/dye,A,,0.00,6.35,,6.35,NA,0.03,6.38,6.38,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,10.62,10.62,0.05
8,03672158,,Mri lumbar spine w/o & w/dye,A,,2.23,7.14,,7.14,NA,0.16,9.53,9.53,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,11.42,11.42,0.18