Billing code 77071: Stress radiographsMedicare rate & RVUs in Iowa
Reports the professional interpretation of manually stressed joint radiographs used to assess instability or ligamentous laxity, including comparison views when obtained.
Medicare pays $53.41 for 77071 in the office in Iowa (Iowa). 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 77071 covers
77071 covers the professional interpretation and report of radiographs taken while manual stress is applied to a joint. Stress views can help assess abnormal joint opening or movement associated with instability or ligament injury. Ankle, knee, and wrist studies are familiar examples. Orthopedic or sports-medicine evaluations may lead to the examination, with a radiologist or other qualified practitioner providing the formal interpretation. Comparison views, when obtained, are part of the stress examination.
Report the code for the interpretation and report, not for image acquisition; CMS identifies a separate code for the technical portion. The report should identify the joint examined and describe the findings from the stress views. CMS prices this code as bilateral, so modifier 50 does not increase payment. When both sides are examined, the bilateral pricing is already reflected in the code’s payment treatment.
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.
77071 in Iowa
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Iowa | $53.41 | $53.41 |
How the 77071 rate is calculated
Each of 77071’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 · 77071
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.40Practice expense 1.28Malpractice 0.07
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 77071
The CMS indicators that decide how 77071 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 77071
Stress radiographs
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 0 | No multiple-procedure reduction. |
| Bilateral (modifier 50) | 2 | Already bilateral by definition: paid once at 100%. |
| 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 | 2 | Professional component only. |
77071 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
77071 vs 77077 vs 73610 vs 73562: national Medicare rates
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How to choose
- 77077Joint survey
- 77077 describes a single-view joint survey. 77071 is for the interpretation of radiographs obtained with manual stress applied to a joint.
- 73610Ankle X-ray
- 73610 reports routine ankle radiographs. Choose 77071 when the examination uses manual stress views to assess ankle instability.
- 73562Knee X-ray
- 73562 reports routine three-view knee radiographs. 77071 describes the professional interpretation of manually stressed joint images, including knee stress views.
77071 billing questions
Is 77071 for the images or the interpretation?
It represents the professional interpretation and report. The technical portion is covered by a separate code.
Should modifier 50 be appended for both sides?
CMS prices 77071 as bilateral, and modifier 50 does not increase payment.
Are comparison views separately reported?
Comparison views, when performed, are included in the stress examination described by 77071.
Can routine ankle or knee radiographs also be reported?
77071 describes manually stressed joint views, not routine nonstress radiographs. A separate routine examination requires its own documentation and code.
What documentation supports 77071?
Document the joint examined, that stress views were obtained, and the interpretation and findings. The professional report supports this code; image acquisition is represented separately.
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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