$120.76
Choose 72128 when the thoracic spine CT has no postcontrast phase. Choose 72130 when both precontrast and postcontrast images are obtained.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
72130 Thoracic spine CT Medicare reimbursement rates in Iowa
Report this thoracic spine CT when the examination includes images obtained before contrast and additional images obtained after contrast administration. Compare 72130 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Iowa.
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 72130 in Iowa?
Iowa 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
$183.19
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Iowa
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 72130: Thoracic spine CT without and with contrast
Report this thoracic spine CT when the examination includes images obtained before contrast and additional images obtained after contrast administration.
This examination uses CT to image the thoracic spine in two phases: one before contrast and another after contrast administration. A radiologic technologist acquires the images, and a radiologist interprets them, typically in a hospital outpatient department or imaging center. The protocol may be used to assess a suspected thoracic spinal lesion when both precontrast and postcontrast findings are needed.
Select this code only when the record supports both phases of the thoracic spine examination. The imaging record and radiology report should identify the region examined and show that images were obtained before and after contrast. Do not report separate noncontrast and contrast-only thoracic spine CT codes for the same combined examination. Medicare distinguishes the radiologist’s interpretation, billed with modifier 26, from the equipment and staff portion, billed with modifier TC; billing without either modifier represents the global service. The diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to both the professional and technical components when its criteria are met.
CMS billing rules for 72130
- 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 RVU1.24 · 21%
- Practice expense (office) RVU4.60 · 78%
- Malpractice RVU0.09 · 2%
1.7K
Medicare services in 2024 · #2592 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.
72130 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Iowa, from the same CMS release.
$156.77
Choose 72129 for thoracic spine CT performed with contrast without a precontrast phase. A combined precontrast and postcontrast examination is 72130.
$181.97
Both codes describe CT before and after contrast. Use 72130 for the thoracic spine and 72133 for the lumbar spine.
$295.12
Both codes involve thoracic spine imaging before and after contrast. Code 72130 is CT; 72157 is MRI.
Compare 72130 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
Iowa →
Office / nonfacility
$183.19
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 72130 in Iowa.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
8,000
- Code
- 72130
- Physician work
- 1.24
- Practice expense
- 4.60
- Malpractice
- 0.09
GPCI2026.csv
53
- Locality
- Iowa
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.915
- Malpractice
- 0.397
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.24 | × 1.000 | 1.2400 |
| Practice expense | 4.60 | × 0.915 | 4.2090 |
| Malpractice | 0.09 | × 0.397 | 0.0357 |
| Total RVUs | 5.4847 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Iowa$183.19
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.24 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 4.6 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 0.09 | 0.397 |
(1.24 × 1 + 4.6 × 0.915 + 0.09 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $183.19
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.
72130 billing questions
When is 72130 selected instead of 72128 or 72129?
Use 72130 when the thoracic spine CT includes both precontrast and postcontrast imaging. Code 72128 describes a noncontrast study; 72129 describes a contrast study without a precontrast phase.
Should 72128 and 72129 be billed together for one combined examination?
No. Report 72130 for a single thoracic spine examination that includes both phases, rather than splitting it into the noncontrast and contrast-only codes.
How is a radiologist’s interpretation of 72130 billed?
The radiologist bills 72130 with modifier 26 for the professional interpretation. The report should document the thoracic region and findings from the examination.
When is modifier TC used with 72130?
Modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff portion when that portion is billed separately. Billing 72130 without 26 or TC represents the global service.
Can Medicare reduce payment when 72130 is performed with other diagnostic imaging?
Yes. The diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to the professional and technical components when its criteria are met.
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.
7,99772129,,Ct chest spine w/dye,A,,1.19,3.79,,3.79,NA,0.09,5.07,5.07,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,5.75,5.75,0.10
7,99872129,26,Ct chest spine w/dye,A,,1.19,0.42,,0.42,,0.07,1.68,1.68,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,99972129,TC,Ct chest spine w/dye,A,,0.00,3.37,,3.37,NA,0.02,3.39,3.39,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,5.33,5.33,0.03
8,00072130,,Ct chest spine w/o & w/dye,A,,1.24,4.60,,4.60,NA,0.09,5.93,5.93,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,5.78,5.78,0.10
8,00172130,26,Ct chest spine w/o & w/dye,A,,1.24,0.44,,0.44,,0.07,1.75,1.75,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,00272130,TC,Ct chest spine w/o & w/dye,A,,0.00,4.16,,4.16,NA,0.02,4.18,4.18,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,5.34,5.34,0.03
8,00372131,,Ct lumbar spine w/o dye,A,,0.98,2.84,,2.84,NA,0.07,3.89,3.89,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,3.53,3.53,0.07
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
5607202,LA,01,NEW ORLEANS,1.000,0.941,1.136