Billing code 72083: Spine X-rayMedicare rate & RVUs in Massachusetts
Reports radiographic imaging of the entire spine with four or five views, commonly used to assess spinal alignment or deformity across multiple regions.
Medicare pays $83.38–$93.27 for 72083 in the office in Massachusetts, from Rest Of Massachusetts to Metropolitan Boston. 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 72083 covers
This service covers radiographic imaging that includes the entire spine in four or five views. It is commonly performed to assess spinal alignment, including in patients evaluated for scoliosis, and may be obtained in an outpatient imaging center, hospital department, or office with radiographic equipment. A technologist acquires the images; a qualified practitioner interprets them when the professional service is billed separately.
Select this code when the study covers the entire spine and the documented examination comprises four or five views. The imaging order and report should support the anatomic extent and number of views performed. Medicare recognizes separately priced professional and technical components: report modifier 26 for interpretation, modifier TC for equipment and staff, or neither modifier when billing the global service. The professional component represents interpretation; the technical component represents image acquisition and associated 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 72083 pays more and less in Massachusetts
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Metropolitan Boston | $93.27 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Massachusetts | $83.38 | Unavailable |
How the 72083 rate is calculated
Each of 72083’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 · 72083
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.34
0.34 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense2.02
2.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.03
0.03 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
2.3900
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$79.83
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 72083
The CMS indicators that decide how 72083 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 72083
Spine 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
72083 without 26 · national office
$79.83
Spine X-ray
72083-26 · Professional component
$17.03
Pays only the interpretation and report.
72083 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 72082Spine X-ray
- Both describe imaging of the entire spine; choose 72082 for two or three views and 72083 for four or five.
- 72084Full-spine X-ray
- This is the entire-spine option for six or more views. Use 72083 when the documented study has four or five.
- 72080Spine X-ray
- 72080 describes a thoracolumbar examination, while 72083 is for imaging that encompasses the entire spine.
72083 billing questions
When should 72083 be selected instead of 72082 or 72084?
Use 72083 for an entire-spine study with four or five views. The neighboring codes distinguish entire-spine studies with two or three views and six or more views.
Does this code describe a scoliosis study?
It can describe full-spine radiographs obtained to assess scoliosis, provided the study covers the entire spine and includes four or five views. The clinical indication alone does not determine the view-count code.
How are the professional and technical services billed?
Use modifier 26 for the interpretation and report, or modifier TC for the technical service, including equipment and staff. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
What documentation supports reporting 72083?
The order and imaging report should establish that the examination covered the entire spine and that four or five views were obtained.
Can 72083 be used for imaging limited to the thoracolumbar spine?
No. This code describes imaging of the entire spine; a study limited to the thoracolumbar region is represented by a different code.
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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