Billing code 73201: Extremity CTMedicare rate & RVUs in Illinois
Reports CT evaluation of an upper extremity performed with contrast, such as imaging to assess a soft-tissue mass, infection, or injury.
Medicare pays $187.29–$206.27 for 73201 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 73201 covers
This service is a CT examination of an upper extremity, such as an arm or hand, performed with contrast material. It may be used to evaluate findings such as a soft-tissue mass, suspected infection, or injury when cross-sectional imaging with contrast is requested. A radiologist typically interprets the images; the technical work is performed by imaging staff using CT equipment in a hospital or outpatient imaging setting.
Choose this code when the examination uses contrast without also acquiring images without contrast. When both without- and with-contrast imaging are performed, the corresponding combined-protocol code is 73202. The order and report should support the clinical indication, the upper-extremity anatomy examined, laterality, and contrast protocol. The global service is reported without a component modifier; modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff service. CMS applies diagnostic imaging multiple-procedure reductions to both components. For bilateral examinations, each side is paid separately at 100%.
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 73201 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
$187.29 to $206.27
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago | $204.35 | Unavailable |
| East St. Louis | $189.76 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Illinois | $187.29 | Unavailable |
| Suburban Chicago | $206.27 | Unavailable |
How the 73201 rate is calculated
Each of 73201’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 · 73201
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 1.13Practice expense 4.75Malpractice 0.09
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 73201
The CMS indicators that decide how 73201 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 73201
Extremity CT
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 4 | Diagnostic imaging reduction applies to the technical component (and professional component) of additional services. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 3 | Each side paid at 100% (no 150% cap). |
| Assistant at surgery (80/81/82/AS) | 0 | Not paid without supporting documentation. |
| Co-surgeons (62) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Team surgery (66) | 0 | Not permitted. |
| Professional/technical | 1 | Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 26 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
73201 without 26 · national office
$199.40
Extremity CT
73201-26 · Professional component
$53.44
Pays only the interpretation and report.
73201 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
73201 vs 73200 vs 73202 vs 73206 vs 73219: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 73200Ct upper extremity w/o dye
- 73200 is for upper-extremity CT without contrast. 73201 is appropriate when contrast is used and no without-contrast acquisition is performed.
- 73202Ct uppr extremity w/o&w/dye
- 73202 represents an upper-extremity CT protocol with imaging both without and with contrast; 73201 represents the with-contrast-only protocol.
- 73206Ct angio upr extrm w/o&w/dye
- 73206 is for CT angiography of upper-extremity vessels. 73201 is used for a nonangiographic contrast-enhanced upper-extremity CT.
- 73219Extremity MRI
- 73219 reports MRI of an upper extremity with contrast. Choose 73201 when the performed modality is CT rather than MRI.
73201 billing questions
When should 73201 be reported instead of 73202?
Report 73201 for an upper-extremity CT performed with contrast only. If images are acquired both without and with contrast, use 73202.
How does 73201 differ from 73206?
73201 is a contrast-enhanced CT examination of the upper extremity. Use 73206 when the study is a CT angiographic examination of the upper-extremity vessels.
Can the interpretation and technical service be billed separately?
Yes. Report modifier 26 for the professional interpretation or modifier TC for the technical service; reporting without either modifier represents the global service.
How is bilateral imaging reported?
When both sides are examined, each side is paid separately at 100% under the CMS bilateral rule.
What documentation supports 73201?
The order and imaging report should identify the clinical reason, the upper-extremity anatomy and side examined, and that contrast was used without a without-contrast acquisition.
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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