Billing code 73000: Clavicle X-rayMedicare rate & RVUs in Texas
Reports radiographic imaging of the clavicle, commonly ordered to assess suspected fracture, focal pain, deformity, or injury involving the collarbone.
Medicare pays $30.89–$34.92 for 73000 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 73000 covers
This service covers radiographs directed at the clavicle, with at least two views used to evaluate the bone’s alignment and integrity. It is commonly ordered after a fall or direct blow when a clavicle fracture is suspected, or for focal collarbone pain or deformity. A radiologic technologist obtains the images; a radiologist or other qualified physician interprets them. Imaging may occur in a hospital department, clinic, or freestanding imaging center.
Report the clavicle study when the images are centered on that bone, rather than on the shoulder joint, scapula, or humerus. The order and imaging report should identify the clinical concern and the side examined. CMS pays the professional interpretation with modifier 26 and the technical service with modifier TC; billing without either modifier represents the global service. For bilateral examinations, each side is paid separately at 100%, so the record should clearly support imaging of both clavicles.
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 73000 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
$30.89 to $34.92
8 of 8 payment localities
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Austin | $34.92 | Unavailable |
| Beaumont | $30.89 | Unavailable |
| Brazoria | $33.05 | Unavailable |
| Dallas | $33.24 | Unavailable |
| Fort Worth | $32.98 | Unavailable |
| Galveston | $33.14 | Unavailable |
| Houston | $33.50 | Unavailable |
| Rest Of Texas | $31.94 | Unavailable |
How the 73000 rate is calculated
Each of 73000’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 · 73000
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
Work 0.16Practice expense 0.82Malpractice 0.02
All indexes start at 1.000 (the national rate). Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 73000
The CMS indicators that decide how 73000 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 73000
Clavicle 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) | 3 | Each side paid at 100% (no 150% cap). |
| 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
73000 without 26 · national office
$33.40
Clavicle X-ray
73000-26 · Professional component
$8.02
Pays only the interpretation and report.
73000 compared with similar codes
Compare codes
73000 vs 73010 vs 73020 vs 73030 vs 73050: national Medicare rates
Swap in your local Medicare rate.
How to choose
- 73010Scapula X-ray
- This code evaluates the clavicle; 73010 is directed at the scapula. Select based on which bone the images cover.
- 73020Shoulder X-ray
- This code is for clavicle imaging. 73020 describes a one-view shoulder examination, directed at the shoulder rather than the collarbone.
- 73030Shoulder X-ray
- Use this code for the clavicle. 73030 is for a multiview shoulder examination when the shoulder joint is the imaging target.
- 73050AC joint X-ray
- This code examines the clavicle; 73050 is for bilateral acromioclavicular-joint imaging, often selected when both AC joints are being assessed.
73000 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of a shoulder X-ray?
Use this code when the examination is directed at the clavicle, such as for suspected collarbone fracture. Choose a shoulder radiograph when the study is directed at the shoulder joint.
How are the interpretation and image acquisition reported?
Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service. Without either modifier, the claim represents the global service.
How is bilateral clavicle imaging paid?
CMS pays each side separately at 100% when both clavicles are examined. The documentation should identify the right and left sides.
What documentation supports reporting this study?
The order and report should establish the clavicle as the imaging target and identify the side examined. Include the clinical concern, such as trauma, focal pain, or suspected fracture.
Can a shoulder-joint examination replace this code?
Not when the requested and performed study is centered on the clavicle. A shoulder-joint study addresses a different anatomic target and should be selected according to the images obtained 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 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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