Billing code 97140: Manual therapyMedicare rate & RVUs in Oregon
Report timed, one-on-one manual therapy for joint or soft tissue mobilization, manual traction, or lymphatic drainage across one or more body regions.
Medicare pays $27.57–$29.31 for 97140 in the office in Oregon, from Rest Of Oregon to Portland. 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 97140 covers
Manual therapy involves skilled, hands-on treatment applied directly to the patient, including joint mobilization, soft tissue and myofascial mobilization, manual traction, and manual lymphatic drainage for lymphedema. Physical therapists and occupational therapists commonly provide it in outpatient clinics, private practices, and hospital outpatient departments; physicians may also perform it. Typical treatment targets include restricted shoulder motion, neck or back mobility, postoperative joint stiffness, and lymphedema.
Report 97140 for direct, one-on-one manual-therapy time, not for each region treated. Document the technique, regions, treatment minutes, and connection to the plan of care. Medicare determines the number of timed therapy units from combined timed-code minutes for the day, then assigns units to the services performed; minutes cannot be counted under two codes. Use the appropriate GP or GO modifier when reporting the service under a physical or occupational therapy plan. As a therapy service, 97140 has no professional or technical component split. Under the therapy multiple procedure payment reduction, practice expense is reduced for the second and later therapy units on the same day.
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 97140 pays more and less in Oregon
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | $29.31 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Oregon | $27.57 | Unavailable |
How the 97140 rate is calculated
Each of 97140’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 · 97140
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.43
0.43 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.39
0.39 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.01
0.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.8300
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$27.72
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 97140
The CMS indicators that decide how 97140 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 97140
Manual therapy
| Rule | CMS value | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Global period | XXX | The global surgery concept doesn’t apply. |
| Multiple procedures | 5 | Therapy reduction: practice expense of the second and later units is reduced. |
| 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 | 7 | Therapy service: the split doesn’t apply. |
What modifiers do to the payment
Modifier CQ · payment effect
With and without the modifier
97140 without CQ · national office
$27.72
Manual therapy
97140-CQ · Allowed amount unchanged
$27.72
Medicare cuts its own payment by 15% after the patient’s 20% coinsurance; the allowed amount stays the same. On $100 allowed: $20 coinsurance, then Medicare pays $68 instead of $80.
97140 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 97124Massage therapy
- Massage describes techniques such as stroking, kneading, and percussion of soft tissue. Manual therapy describes techniques such as targeted mobilization, manual traction, or lymphatic drainage.
- 98940Chiropractic adjustment
- Chiropractic spinal manipulation is reported by the number of spinal regions treated, not by time. Manual therapy is timed; treatment of the same anatomical region is not separately reportable with the manipulation.
- 97112Neuromuscular reeducation
- Neuromuscular reeducation trains balance, coordination, proprioception, or movement control through patient activity. Manual therapy is hands-on treatment applied to joints or soft tissue.
- 97110Therapeutic exercise
- Therapeutic exercise involves the patient performing exercises for strength, range of motion, or endurance. Report manual therapy for the distinct minutes spent delivering a hands-on manual technique.
97140 billing questions
Do I bill one unit per body region treated?
No. Regions do not determine units; direct treatment minutes do. Fifteen minutes of manual therapy across the cervical and thoracic spine is one timed unit when no other timed service changes the day's unit allocation.
Can manual therapy be billed with chiropractic spinal manipulation on the same day?
Manual therapy on the same anatomical region as spinal manipulation is not separately reportable. A distinct region may support modifier 59 or XS on 97140 when documentation meets the applicable NCCI edit requirements; Medicare does not cover 97140 when furnished by a chiropractor.
How is manual therapy different from massage?
Massage covers techniques such as stroking, kneading, and percussion of soft tissue. Choose 97140 for a documented manual-therapy technique such as joint mobilization, manual traction, or lymphatic drainage; do not count the same treatment minutes under both codes.
Can manual lymphatic drainage be reported with this code?
Yes. Document the drainage technique, treated region, and direct treatment minutes. Applying compression bandaging afterward does not automatically create another 97140 unit or a separately billable service.
What modifiers are used on Medicare therapy claims for 97140?
Use GP for treatment under a physical therapy plan or GO for treatment under an occupational therapy plan. Use modifier 59 or an appropriate X modifier only when a documented, distinct service meets the requirements for overriding an applicable NCCI edit.
Are Medicare claims from chiropractors for this code payable?
No. Medicare coverage for services furnished by chiropractors is limited to qualifying spinal manipulation for subluxation; it does not cover manual therapy furnished by a chiropractor.
97140 is in these specialty bundles: Physical therapy
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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