$104.86
72240 covers cervical spine myelographic imaging. Choose 72255 when the examined region is thoracic.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
72255 Myelography Medicare reimbursement rates in Indiana
Report thoracic spine myelography imaging when intrathecal contrast is used to assess the thoracic spinal canal, cord, or nerve roots. Compare 72255 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Indiana.
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 72255 in Indiana?
Indiana 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
$97.89
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Indiana
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 72255: Thoracic spine myelography imaging
Report thoracic spine myelography imaging when intrathecal contrast is used to assess the thoracic spinal canal, cord, or nerve roots.
This service covers radiologic imaging and interpretation of the thoracic spinal canal after contrast is introduced into the cerebrospinal fluid. A radiologist commonly supervises or performs the imaging and interprets the resulting views, often using fluoroscopy. The study may help evaluate suspected thoracic canal narrowing, cord compression, or another lesion, including when MRI is limited or cannot be performed.
Report 72255 when the myelographic examination is confined to the thoracic region; use the multiple-region code when two or more spinal regions are examined. The record should identify the thoracic region imaged and support the medical reason for the study, with an interpretation and report. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff, and reporting without either modifier represents the global service.
CMS billing rules for 72255
- 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.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.89 · 29%
- Practice expense (office) RVU2.17 · 70%
- Malpractice RVU0.06 · 2%
83
Medicare services in 2024 · #5021 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.
72255 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Indiana, from the same CMS release.
$103.27
72265 covers lumbosacral myelographic imaging. Choose 72255 for the thoracic region.
$125.84
72270 is for a myelographic examination involving two or more spinal regions; 72255 is for the thoracic region alone.
Compare 72255 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
Indiana →
Office / nonfacility
$97.89
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 72255 in Indiana.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
8,084
- Code
- 72255
- Physician work
- 0.89
- Practice expense
- 2.17
- Malpractice
- 0.06
GPCI2026.csv
52
- Locality
- Indiana
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.927
- Malpractice
- 0.486
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.89 | × 1.000 | 0.8900 |
| Practice expense | 2.17 | × 0.927 | 2.0116 |
| Malpractice | 0.06 | × 0.486 | 0.0292 |
| Total RVUs | 2.9308 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Indiana$97.89
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.89 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 2.17 | 0.927 |
| Malpractice | 0.06 | 0.486 |
(0.89 × 1 + 2.17 × 0.927 + 0.06 × 0.486) × $33.4009 = $97.89
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.
72255 billing questions
When should 72255 be chosen instead of 72270?
Use 72255 for a thoracic-only myelographic examination. Use 72270 when the examination covers two or more spinal regions.
Can the contrast injection be reported separately?
The spinal contrast injection for myelography may be separately reported with 62284 when performed and supported by the record. 72255 represents the thoracic imaging and interpretation service.
When should modifier 26 or TC be used?
Use modifier 26 for the professional interpretation and report, or TC for the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, 72255 represents the global service.
What documentation supports 72255?
Document the thoracic region examined, the clinical reason for myelography, and the imaging findings in the interpretation. The record should make clear whether the service was professional, technical, or global.
How does 72255 differ from 72265?
72255 is for myelographic imaging of the thoracic spine; 72265 is for the lumbosacral region. Select based on the spinal region examined.
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.
8,08172240,,Myelography neck spine,A,,0.89,2.39,,2.39,NA,0.07,3.35,3.35,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,24.20,24.20,0.18
8,08272240,26,Myelography neck spine,A,,0.89,0.34,,0.34,,0.06,1.29,1.29,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,08372240,TC,Myelography neck spine,A,,0.00,2.05,,2.05,NA,0.01,2.06,2.06,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,03,0,99,23.86,23.86,0.12
8,08472255,,Myelography thoracic spine,A,,0.89,2.17,,2.17,NA,0.06,3.12,3.12,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,24.17,24.17,0.18
8,08572255,26,Myelography thoracic spine,A,,0.89,0.32,,0.32,,0.05,1.26,1.26,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,08672255,TC,Myelography thoracic spine,A,,0.00,1.85,,1.85,NA,0.01,1.86,1.86,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,03,0,99,23.85,23.85,0.13
8,08772265,,Myelography l-s spine,A,,0.81,2.43,,2.43,NA,0.06,3.30,3.30,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,24.20,24.20,0.17
4906102,IL,12,EAST ST. LOUIS,1.000,0.920,2.014
5006102,IL,15,SUBURBAN CHICAGO,1.007,1.027,1.772
5106102,IL,99,REST OF ILLINOIS,1.000,0.913,1.563
5208102,IN,00,INDIANA,1.000,0.927,0.486
5305102,IA,00,IOWA,1.000,0.915,0.397
5405202,KS,00,KANSAS,1.000,0.904,0.504
5515102,KY,00,KENTUCKY,1.000,0.889,0.915