$241.58
Both cover nonjoint lower-extremity MRI, but 73719 is for imaging with contrast; this code is for imaging without contrast.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
73718 MRI Medicare reimbursement rates in Iowa
Reports MRI of a lower-extremity area outside a joint, performed without contrast to evaluate soft tissue, bone, or other regional findings. Compare 73718 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 73718 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
$205.73
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.
Diagnostic imaging
About 73718: Lower extremity MRI without contrast
Reports MRI of a lower-extremity area outside a joint, performed without contrast to evaluate soft tissue, bone, or other regional findings.
This service covers MRI of a lower-extremity region outside a joint, such as the thigh or calf, without contrast. It may be used to assess muscle or tendon injury, a soft-tissue mass, infection, or bone abnormalities. A technologist performs the scan in an imaging department or other MRI-capable setting, and a qualified practitioner interprets the images. When the study is focused on a joint, the joint MRI code family is used instead.
Select the code based on the imaged anatomy and whether contrast was used: this code describes a nonjoint region imaged without contrast. The order and report should identify the body area, side, clinical indication, and imaging protocol. A claim without a component modifier represents the global service; modifier 26 identifies interpretation, while modifier TC identifies equipment and staff. When multiple diagnostic imaging services are reported, the multiple-procedure reduction applies to both professional and technical components. For bilateral performance, each side is paid separately at 100%.
CMS billing rules for 73718
- 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 · 20%
- Practice expense (office) RVU5.25 · 79%
- Malpractice RVU0.09 · 1%
152.5K
Medicare services in 2024 · #446 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.
73718 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Iowa, from the same CMS release.
$309.90
73720 describes a nonjoint MRI performed without and with contrast. This code describes a study performed without contrast only.
$189.23
73721 is for MRI focused on a lower-extremity joint without contrast. Use this code when the imaged region is outside a joint.
$120.76
73700 describes a lower-extremity CT without contrast, not MRI. The modality performed determines which code applies.
Compare 73718 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
$205.73
Facility
Unavailable
Need rates for a whole code list?
Fee-sheet and API access are in early access. Tell us which codes and locations your team needs.
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 73718 in Iowa.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
8,267
- Code
- 73718
- Physician work
- 1.32
- Practice expense
- 5.25
- 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 | 5.25 | × 0.915 | 4.8037 |
| Malpractice | 0.09 | × 0.397 | 0.0357 |
| Total RVUs | 6.1595 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Iowa$205.73
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.32 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 5.25 | 0.915 |
| Malpractice | 0.09 | 0.397 |
(1.32 × 1 + 5.25 × 0.915 + 0.09 × 0.397) × $33.4009 = $205.73
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.
73718 billing questions
When should this code be used instead of a lower-extremity joint MRI code?
Use this code when the MRI targets a lower-extremity area outside a joint, such as the thigh or calf. A study focused on a joint is reported from the joint MRI code family.
How does contrast use change the code?
This code describes imaging without contrast. Use the related nonjoint MRI code that matches the documented contrast protocol when contrast is administered.
Can the interpretation and scan be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 reports the professional interpretation, and modifier TC reports the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
How is a bilateral study handled?
When both sides are imaged, each side is paid separately at 100% under the CMS bilateral rule for this code.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The order and imaging report should identify the nonjoint anatomy and side examined, the clinical reason for the MRI, and the contrast protocol.
Does the multiple-procedure reduction affect only the technical service?
No. For multiple diagnostic imaging procedures, the reduction applies to both the technical and professional 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.
8,26473706,,Ct angio lwr extr w/o&w/dye,A,,1.85,7.62,,7.62,NA,0.16,9.63,9.63,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,5.96,5.96,0.15
8,26573706,26,Ct angio lwr extr w/o&w/dye,A,,1.85,0.63,,0.63,,0.12,2.60,2.60,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,26673706,TC,Ct angio lwr extr w/o&w/dye,A,,0.00,6.99,,6.99,NA,0.04,7.03,7.03,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,5.33,5.33,0.03
8,26773718,,Mri lower extremity w/o dye,A,,1.32,5.25,,5.25,NA,0.09,6.66,6.66,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,7.74,7.74,0.10
8,26873718,26,Mri lower extremity w/o dye,A,,1.32,0.47,,0.47,,0.07,1.86,1.86,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,26973718,TC,Mri lower extremity w/o dye,A,,0.00,4.78,,4.78,NA,0.02,4.80,4.80,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,88,7.27,7.27,0.03
8,27073719,,Mri lower extremity w/dye,A,,1.58,6.13,,6.13,NA,0.11,7.82,7.82,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,11.17,11.17,0.14
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