$279.52
This code is for MRI focused on a joint. Code 73218 applies when the target is an upper-extremity region rather than a joint.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
73221 Joint MRI Medicare reimbursement rates in Iowa
Reports MRI imaging of an upper-extremity joint without contrast, commonly used to assess shoulder, elbow, or wrist problems. Compare 73221 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 73221 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
$189.84
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 73221: Upper-extremity joint MRI without contrast
Reports MRI imaging of an upper-extremity joint without contrast, commonly used to assess shoulder, elbow, or wrist problems.
This service uses magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate an upper-extremity joint without contrast material. Common targets include the shoulder, elbow, and wrist; clinicians may request the study for suspected rotator cuff or labral injury, internal joint derangement, or unexplained joint pain. An imaging technologist acquires the images, and a radiologist or other qualified physician interprets them in an outpatient imaging center or hospital department.
Select this code when the study is directed at a joint rather than a nonjoint region of the arm, and when contrast is not used. The order and report should identify the joint and clinical reason for imaging, and the record should support the performed protocol. The global service includes the technical work and interpretation; modifier 26 reports interpretation only, and modifier TC reports the technical portion only. CMS applies the diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction to both components. For bilateral imaging, each side is paid separately at 100%.
CMS billing rules for 73221
- 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.
- Bilateral procedures
- Each side is paid separately at 100% when performed bilaterally.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.32 · 21%
- Practice expense (office) RVU4.73 · 77%
- Malpractice RVU0.09 · 1%
528.4K
Medicare services in 2024 · #224 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.
73221 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Iowa, from the same CMS release.
$288.64
Both describe MRI of an upper-extremity joint, but 73222 is used when contrast is administered.
$353.91
Use 73223 for joint imaging performed both without and with contrast; use this code for imaging without contrast.
Compare 73221 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
$189.84
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 73221 in Iowa.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
8,174
- Code
- 73221
- Physician work
- 1.32
- Practice expense
- 4.73
- 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 | 1.32 | × 1.000 | 1.3200 |
| Practice expense | 4.73 | × 0.915 | 4.3280 |
| Malpractice | 0.09 | × 0.397 | 0.0357 |
| Total RVUs | 5.6837 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Iowa$189.84
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.32 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 4.73 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 0.09 | 0.397 |
(1.32 × 1 + 4.73 × 0.915 + 0.09 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $189.84
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.
73221 billing questions
How does this differ from MRI of the upper extremity?
Use this code when imaging is directed at an upper-extremity joint, such as the shoulder, elbow, or wrist. Code 73218 describes MRI of an upper-extremity area rather than a joint.
When should contrast MRI codes be used instead?
Use 73222 when contrast is used, or 73223 when the study is performed both without and with contrast. This code is for a study performed without contrast.
Can the professional and technical portions be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, while modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff portion; billing without either modifier represents the global service.
How is bilateral joint imaging reported?
Report each side distinctly when both upper-extremity joints are imaged. CMS pays each side separately at 100%.
What happens when multiple imaging procedures are performed?
CMS's diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to both the technical and professional components. The reduction can therefore affect either a global claim or separately billed components.
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.
8,17173220,,Mri uppr extremity w/o&w/dye,A,,2.10,9.92,,9.92,NA,0.16,12.18,12.18,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,11.38,11.38,0.17
8,17273220,26,Mri uppr extremity w/o&w/dye,A,,2.10,0.76,,0.76,,0.12,2.98,2.98,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,17373220,TC,Mri uppr extremity w/o&w/dye,A,,0.00,9.16,,9.16,NA,0.04,9.20,9.20,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,10.62,10.62,0.05
8,17473221,,Mri joint upr extrem w/o dye,A,,1.32,4.73,,4.73,NA,0.09,6.14,6.14,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,7.76,7.76,0.10
8,17573221,26,Mri joint upr extrem w/o dye,A,,1.32,0.50,,0.50,,0.07,1.89,1.89,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,17673221,TC,Mri joint upr extrem w/o dye,A,,0.00,4.23,,4.23,NA,0.02,4.25,4.25,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,88,7.26,7.26,0.03
8,17773222,,Mri joint upr extrem w/dye,A,,1.58,7.67,,7.67,NA,0.11,9.36,9.36,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,24.47,24.47,0.18
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