Billing code 62291: DiscographyMedicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports contrast injection into cervical or thoracic intervertebral disc levels for discography, generally to assess disc structure and help evaluate suspected disc-related pain.
Medicare pays $321.46–$350.53 for 62291 in the office in Illinois, from Rest Of Illinois to Suburban Chicago. 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 62291 covers
A physician, commonly a radiologist or spine specialist, places a needle into one or more cervical or thoracic intervertebral discs and injects contrast for discographic evaluation. The study can help assess disc morphology and whether injection reproduces a patient’s symptoms during evaluation of suspected disc-related pain. This code identifies the injection procedure at each level, not lumbar discography.
Report the code for each cervical or thoracic disc level injected, supported by the procedure note’s documented site and number of levels. Radiological supervision and interpretation for cervical or thoracic discography is represented by 72285 when performed and documented. The 0-day global includes same-day preoperative and postoperative care. When multiple procedures occur 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 for this service, and co-surgeon and team-surgery payment is 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.
Where 62291 pays more and less in Illinois
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
4 payment localities
$321.46 to $350.53
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $349.57 | $144.80 |
| East St. Louis | $326.72 | $139.27 |
| Rest Of Illinois | $321.46 | $135.44 |
| Suburban Chicago | $350.53 | $141.29 |
How the 62291 rate is calculated
Each of 62291’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 · 62291
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 2.84Practice expense 7.02Malpractice 0.24
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 62291
The CMS indicators that decide how 62291 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 62291
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
62291 without 51 · national office
$337.35
Discography
62291-51 · Second procedure: 50%
$168.68
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%).
62291 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
62291 vs 62290 vs 72285 vs 62267: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 62290Discography
- 62290 reports discography injection at lumbar levels; 62291 is for cervical or thoracic levels.
- 72285Discography
- 72285 represents radiological supervision and interpretation for cervical or thoracic discography, while 62291 reports the disc injection procedure.
- 62267Disc aspiration
- 62267 describes percutaneous aspiration of an intervertebral disc for diagnostic sampling; 62291 is the contrast injection used for discography.
62291 billing questions
When should 62291 be chosen instead of 62290?
Use 62291 for cervical or thoracic disc levels. Code 62290 is the lumbar discography injection counterpart.
How are units determined?
The code is reported for each cervical or thoracic disc level injected. Document the levels treated in the procedure note.
Is the imaging supervision and interpretation included?
Radiological supervision and interpretation for cervical or thoracic discography is represented by 72285 when performed and documented.
Should modifier 50 be used for bilateral discography?
No. The CMS bilateral adjustment does not apply, and modifier 50 is inappropriate for this code.
How does the multiple-procedure reduction affect payment?
For multiple procedures performed in the same session, the highest-valued procedure is paid in full and other procedures are subject to the standard 50% reduction.
Can an assistant or co-surgeon be reported?
Medicare does not pay an assistant at surgery for this service. 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
Fee sheets
Put 62291 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →