$30.17
The distinction is the number of elbow views: 73070 is for two views, while 73080 is for three or more.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
73070 Elbow X-ray Medicare reimbursement rates in Kansas
A two-view plain radiograph of the elbow evaluates symptoms or injury when the study is limited to two images of that joint. Compare 73070 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Kansas.
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 73070 in Kansas?
Kansas 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
$26.82
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kansas
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 radiology
About 73070: Two-view elbow radiograph
A two-view plain radiograph of the elbow evaluates symptoms or injury when the study is limited to two images of that joint.
This service is a plain-film examination of one elbow using two views. It is commonly ordered after a fall or other injury to assess for fracture or dislocation, and for elbow pain or limited motion. A radiologic technologist obtains the images in an imaging center, hospital, or office; a qualified practitioner interprets them and documents the findings. The study focuses on the elbow joint rather than a separate forearm or upper-arm examination.
Select this code when the elbow study consists of two views; use the appropriate sibling code when three or more views are obtained. The order and report should identify the side, clinical reason, views performed, and interpretation. CMS recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies interpretation, modifier TC identifies equipment and staff, and billing without either modifier represents the global service. When both elbows are imaged, each side is paid separately at 100%.
CMS billing rules for 73070
- 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.
- Bilateral procedures
- Each side is paid separately at 100% when performed bilaterally.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.16 · 18%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.70 · 80%
- Malpractice RVU0.02 · 2%
200.6K
Medicare services in 2024 · #387 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.
73070 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Kansas, from the same CMS release.
Compare 73070 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
Kansas →
Office / nonfacility
$26.82
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 73070 in Kansas.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
8,120
- Code
- 73070
- Physician work
- 0.16
- Practice expense
- 0.70
- Malpractice
- 0.02
GPCI2026.csv
54
- Locality
- Kansas
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.904
- Malpractice
- 0.504
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.16 | × 1.000 | 0.1600 |
| Practice expense | 0.70 | × 0.904 | 0.6328 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | × 0.504 | 0.0101 |
| Total RVUs | 0.8029 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Kansas$26.82
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.16 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 0.7 | 0.904 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | 0.504 |
(0.16 × 1 + 0.7 × 0.904 + 0.02 × 0.504) × $33.4009 = $26.82
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.
73070 billing questions
When should 73070 be chosen instead of 73080?
Use 73070 for a two-view elbow study. Use 73080 when three or more views are obtained.
Can the interpretation and imaging be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
How is imaging of both elbows reported?
Report the study for each side imaged. CMS pays each side separately at 100% when performed bilaterally.
What documentation supports 73070?
Document the clinical indication, the elbow side, the two views obtained, and the interpretation. The documented view count should support selection over 73080.
Does 73070 cover a forearm X-ray as well?
No. It describes the elbow study; a separately performed forearm examination is coded based on the forearm imaging obtained.
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.
8,11773060,,X-ray exam of humerus,A,,0.16,0.78,,0.78,NA,0.02,0.96,0.96,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,2.69,2.69,0.05
8,11873060,26,X-ray exam of humerus,A,,0.16,0.07,,0.07,,0.01,0.24,0.24,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,11973060,TC,X-ray exam of humerus,A,,0.00,0.71,,0.71,NA,0.01,0.72,0.72,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,2.62,2.62,0.04
8,12073070,,X-ray exam of elbow,A,,0.16,0.70,,0.70,NA,0.02,0.88,0.88,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,2.69,2.69,0.05
8,12173070,26,X-ray exam of elbow,A,,0.16,0.07,,0.07,,0.01,0.24,0.24,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,12273070,TC,X-ray exam of elbow,A,,0.00,0.63,,0.63,NA,0.01,0.64,0.64,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,2.62,2.62,0.04
8,12373080,,X-ray exam of elbow,A,,0.17,0.80,,0.80,NA,0.02,0.99,0.99,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,2.70,2.70,0.05
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
5707202,LA,99,REST OF LOUISIANA,1.000,0.885,0.958