$30.16
72070 describes two thoracic spine views; 72072 describes three. Use the documented number of views obtained.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
72072 Spine X-ray Medicare reimbursement rates in Kentucky
Three-view thoracic spine radiography evaluates the mid-back for findings such as fracture, alignment changes, or degenerative disease. Compare 72072 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Kentucky.
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 72072 in Kentucky?
Kentucky 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
$35.28
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Kentucky
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 72072: Thoracic spine radiograph, three views
Three-view thoracic spine radiography evaluates the mid-back for findings such as fracture, alignment changes, or degenerative disease.
This service is an X-ray examination of the thoracic spine using three views. It is commonly ordered to assess mid-back pain, suspected injury or compression fracture, spinal alignment, or degenerative changes. A radiologic technologist acquires the images in a hospital, imaging center, or office; a radiologist or other qualified physician interprets them and documents the findings. The views are selected to show the thoracic vertebrae and relevant anatomy, with the imaging protocol guided by the clinical question.
Report this code when the thoracic spine examination includes three views. The order and report should support the body region examined, the clinical reason, and the images obtained. CMS recognizes a professional component for interpretation and a technical component for equipment and staff: bill modifier 26 for the professional service, modifier TC for the technical service, or neither modifier when billing the global service. The recorded view count helps distinguish this examination from two-view and four-or-more-view thoracic spine studies.
CMS billing rules for 72072
- 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.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU0.22 · 19%
- Practice expense (office) RVU0.92 · 79%
- Malpractice RVU0.02 · 2%
144.3K
Medicare services in 2024 · #461 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.
72072 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Kentucky, from the same CMS release.
$40.10
72074 is for four or more thoracic spine views. It is not the three-view selection.
$31.94
72080 describes imaging of the thoracolumbar region. Choose 72072 for a thoracic-only examination.
$64.98
72082 covers the entire spine with two or three views. 72072 is limited to the thoracic spine.
Compare 72072 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
Kentucky →
Office / nonfacility
$35.28
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 72072 in Kentucky.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
7,952
- Code
- 72072
- Physician work
- 0.22
- Practice expense
- 0.92
- Malpractice
- 0.02
GPCI2026.csv
55
- Locality
- Kentucky
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.889
- Malpractice
- 0.915
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 0.22 | × 1.000 | 0.2200 |
| Practice expense | 0.92 | × 0.889 | 0.8179 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | × 0.915 | 0.0183 |
| Total RVUs | 1.0562 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Kentucky$35.28
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 0.22 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 0.92 | 0.889 |
| Malpractice | 0.02 | 0.915 |
(0.22 × 1 + 0.92 × 0.889 + 0.02 × 0.915) × $33.4009 = $35.28
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.
72072 billing questions
How does this differ from 72070?
72070 is for a two-view thoracic spine examination. Report 72072 when three views are obtained and documented.
When is 72074 more appropriate?
Use 72074 when four or more thoracic spine views are performed. The number of views obtained distinguishes it from this three-view study.
Can the professional and technical services be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the equipment and staff service. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
What documentation supports reporting three views?
The imaging record should identify the thoracic spine examination and show that three views were acquired. The report should document the interpretation and the clinical indication.
Should this code be used for imaging of the entire spine?
No. This code describes a thoracic spine examination only. A whole-spine study is distinguished by its coverage and view count.
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.
7,94972070,,X-ray exam thorac spine 2vws,A,,0.20,0.77,,0.77,NA,0.02,0.99,0.99,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.23,3.23,0.06
7,95072070,26,X-ray exam thorac spine 2vws,A,,0.20,0.08,,0.08,,0.01,0.29,0.29,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,95172070,TC,X-ray exam thorac spine 2vws,A,,0.00,0.69,,0.69,NA,0.01,0.70,0.70,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,3.15,3.15,0.05
7,95272072,,X-ray exam thorac spine 3vws,A,,0.22,0.92,,0.92,NA,0.02,1.16,1.16,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.24,3.24,0.05
7,95372072,26,X-ray exam thorac spine 3vws,A,,0.22,0.08,,0.08,,0.01,0.31,0.31,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,95472072,TC,X-ray exam thorac spine 3vws,A,,0.00,0.84,,0.84,NA,0.01,0.85,0.85,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,99,3.16,3.16,0.04
7,95572074,,X-ray exam thorac spine4/>vw,A,,0.24,1.06,,1.06,NA,0.02,1.32,1.32,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,0,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,99,3.25,3.25,0.04
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
5814112,ME,03,SOUTHERN MAINE,1.000,0.991,0.631