CPT code 72052: Cervical X-ray2026 Medicare rate & RVUs in Maine
Reports cervical spine radiography with six or more views, such as a detailed study for neck pain, alignment concerns, or selected injury evaluation.
Medicare pays $58.25–$61.95 for 72052 in the office in Maine, from Rest Of Maine to Southern Maine. 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 72052 covers
This service covers X-ray imaging of the cervical spine using at least six views. A radiologic technologist typically obtains the images, and a radiologist or other qualified physician interprets them. It may be ordered for neck pain or to evaluate suspected degenerative changes, alignment abnormalities, or selected injuries when cervical radiographs are appropriate. The study may be performed in an imaging center, hospital, or office with radiographic equipment.
Choose this code from the number of views obtained for the cervical examination, not simply from the order wording. The report and imaging record should support the cervical anatomy examined, the views acquired, and the physician’s interpretation. Bill the global service without a component modifier when one entity provides both imaging and interpretation. If those services are split, modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation and modifier TC identifies the technical service, including equipment and staff.
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.
Where 72052 pays more and less in Maine
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Rest Of Maine | $58.25 | Unavailable |
| Southern Maine | $61.95 | Unavailable |
How the 72052 rate is calculated
Each of 72052’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 · 72052
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.29
0.29 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.56
1.56 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.03
0.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.8800
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$62.79
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 72052
The CMS indicators that decide how 72052 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 72052
Cervical X-ray
| 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) | 0 | The 150% bilateral adjustment doesn’t apply. |
| 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 | 1 | Diagnostic test with separate professional (26) and technical (TC) components. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier 26 · payment effect
With and without the modifier
72052 without 26 · national office
$62.79
Cervical X-ray
72052-26 · Professional component
$14.36
Pays only the interpretation and report.
72052 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 72040Cervical spine X-ray
- Use 72040 for two or three cervical views; use 72052 when six or more views are obtained.
- 72050Neck spine X-ray
- 72050 covers four or five cervical views. The view count for the completed study distinguishes it from 72052.
- 72084Full-spine X-ray
- 72084 is for a study of the entire spine with six or more views, not a cervical-only examination.
72052 billing questions
How does this differ from 72050?
72052 applies when the cervical study includes six or more views. Use 72050 when four or five views were obtained.
How does this differ from 72040?
72040 is for a cervical study with two or three views. Select among these codes based on the views actually acquired.
Can the professional and technical services be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
Do flexion and extension images count toward the view total?
Count the views obtained as part of the cervical examination, including flexion or extension views when they are acquired and documented as part of that study.
Should 72050 also be reported for the same cervical study?
Do not report a lower-view cervical code separately for the same set of images. Use the code matching the total number of views for the study.
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
Fee sheets
Put 72052 and the rest of your codes on one sheet
Build a fee sheet from your own code list at your locality, put your payer contracts beside Medicare, and see what changed each quarter.
Build my fee sheetOr price your code list free →