$122.33–$135.21
72128 is for a thoracic spine CT performed without contrast. Choose this code when the study uses contrast only.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
72129 Spine CT Medicare reimbursement rates in Pennsylvania
Reports a contrast-enhanced CT of the thoracic spine when the ordered study uses contrast without a noncontrast acquisition. Compare 72129 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Pennsylvania.
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 72129 in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has 2 payment localities in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the 2 payment areas shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$158.80–$175.83
2 of 2 localities have a supported rate.
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 imaging
About 72129: Thoracic spine CT with contrast
Reports a contrast-enhanced CT of the thoracic spine when the ordered study uses contrast without a noncontrast acquisition.
This service is a CT examination of the thoracic spine acquired after contrast administration, with images interpreted for vertebral and surrounding spinal findings. Radiology departments and imaging centers commonly perform it; a radiologist typically interprets the study. Clinical situations may include evaluation of a suspected enhancing vertebral or paraspinal abnormality, such as a neoplasm or infection, when the imaging protocol calls for contrast-only CT.
Select this code when the documented examination is of the thoracic spine and uses contrast without a separate noncontrast series. The order, imaging report, and protocol should support the spinal region and contrast technique; use the combined-study code when both noncontrast and contrast acquisitions are performed. Medicare recognizes professional and technical components: modifier 26 identifies interpretation, modifier TC identifies equipment and staff, and no modifier represents the global service. When multiple diagnostic imaging procedures are reported, the multiple procedure reduction applies to both components.
CMS billing rules for 72129
- 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.
- Multiple procedures
- Diagnostic imaging multiple procedure reduction applies to the technical and professional components.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.19 · 23%
- Practice expense (office) RVU3.79 · 75%
- Malpractice RVU0.09 · 2%
46K
Medicare services in 2024 · #811 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.
72129 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Pennsylvania, from the same CMS release.
$185.30–$205.69
72130 is for a thoracic spine CT with both noncontrast and contrast acquisitions; this code describes contrast-only imaging.
$253.85–$281.61
72147 reports thoracic spine MRI with contrast, not CT. The modality documented in the imaging record determines which code applies.
Compare 72129 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.
2 of 2 payment localities
Metropolitan Philadelphia →
Office / nonfacility
$175.83
Facility
Unavailable
Rest Of Pennsylvania →
Office / nonfacility
$158.80
Facility
Unavailable
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72129 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of 72128?
Use 72129 for a contrast-only thoracic spine CT. Use 72128 when the thoracic spine CT is performed without contrast.
How does this differ from 72130?
72130 represents a thoracic spine CT performed both without and with contrast. This code is for the contrast-only examination.
Can the professional and technical portions be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 reports the professional interpretation, and modifier TC reports the technical service, including equipment and staff. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
Does the multiple procedure reduction affect both components?
Yes. For multiple diagnostic imaging procedures, the CMS reduction applies to both the professional and technical components.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
The order and imaging documentation should identify the thoracic spine and show that contrast was used without a noncontrast acquisition. The imaging report should support that the study was performed and interpreted.
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.
7,99472128,,Ct chest spine w/o dye,A,,0.98,2.85,,2.85,NA,0.07,3.90,3.90,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,3.53,3.53,0.07
7,99572128,26,Ct chest spine w/o dye,A,,0.98,0.35,,0.35,,0.06,1.39,1.39,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,99672128,TC,Ct chest spine w/o dye,A,,0.00,2.50,,2.50,NA,0.01,2.51,2.51,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,88,3.18,3.18,0.01
7,99772129,,Ct chest spine w/dye,A,,1.19,3.79,,3.79,NA,0.09,5.07,5.07,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,5.75,5.75,0.10
7,99872129,26,Ct chest spine w/dye,A,,1.19,0.42,,0.42,,0.07,1.68,1.68,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
7,99972129,TC,Ct chest spine w/dye,A,,0.00,3.37,,3.37,NA,0.02,3.39,3.39,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,5.33,5.33,0.03
8,00072130,,Ct chest spine w/o & w/dye,A,,1.24,4.60,,4.60,NA,0.09,5.93,5.93,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,5.78,5.78,0.10