Billing code 72074: Thoracic spine X-rayMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports a thoracic spine X-ray with at least four views, commonly obtained to assess thoracic back pain, deformity, or suspected vertebral injury.
Medicare pays $40.86–$46.08 for 72074 in the office in Texas, from Beaumont to Austin. 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 72074 covers
This examination uses multiple X-ray projections to evaluate the thoracic vertebrae, alignment, and related bony structures. It may be ordered for thoracic back pain, suspected compression fracture, or a spinal deformity such as kyphosis. A radiologic technologist acquires the images in an office or outpatient imaging department; a physician, commonly a radiologist, interprets them and documents the findings.
Report 72074 when the documented study covers the thoracic spine and includes four or more views. The order, image record, and report should support the body region examined, the views obtained, and the clinical reason for imaging. CMS recognizes a professional component for interpretation and a technical component for equipment and staff: report modifier 26 for the professional service, modifier TC for the technical service, or neither modifier when billing the global service.
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 72074 pays more and less in Texas
The same RVUs, adjusted for each area’s costs. Open a locality for its calculation, history and nearby areas.
8 payment localities
$40.86 to $46.08
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $46.08 | Unavailable |
| Beaumont | $40.86 | Unavailable |
| Brazoria | $43.69 | Unavailable |
| Dallas | $43.92 | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | $43.58 | Unavailable |
| Galveston | $43.79 | Unavailable |
| Houston | $44.16 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | $42.22 | Unavailable |
How the 72074 rate is calculated
Each of 72074’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 · 72074
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.24
0.24 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense1.06
1.06 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.02
0.02 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
1.3200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$44.09
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 72074
The CMS indicators that decide how 72074 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 72074
Thoracic 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
72074 without 26 · national office
$44.09
Thoracic spine X-ray
72074-26 · Professional component
$11.36
Pays only the interpretation and report.
72074 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
5 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 72070Thoracic spine X-ray
- 72070 represents a thoracic spine study with two views. Use 72074 when four or more thoracic views were obtained.
- 72072Spine X-ray
- 72072 is for three thoracic views; 72074 requires four or more views.
- 72080Spine X-ray
- 72080 describes imaging of the thoracolumbar region. Use 72074 when the documented study is limited to the thoracic spine.
- 72083Spine X-ray
- 72083 is for an entire-spine examination with four or five views, not a thoracic-only study.
72074 billing questions
How does 72074 differ from 72072?
72074 is for a thoracic spine study with four or more views; 72072 is for three views. Select the code that matches the views actually obtained and documented.
Do four views mean four vertebral levels?
No. The view count refers to imaging projections of the thoracic spine, not the number of vertebral levels examined.
Which modifiers identify the components?
Use modifier 26 for the physician interpretation or modifier TC for the technical service. Billing without either modifier represents the global service.
What documentation supports 72074?
The record should identify the thoracic spine as the imaged region, document at least four views, and include the clinical indication and interpretation.
Should 72074 be used for imaging that includes the thoracolumbar junction?
Choose based on the documented anatomic extent. A study of the thoracolumbar region may be represented by 72080 rather than a thoracic-only examination.
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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