$202.02
This code is for a non-joint-focused upper-extremity MRI. Choose 73221 when the study is centered on an upper-extremity joint.
On this page
CMS RVU26D · Effective 2026-10-01
73218 Extremity MRI Medicare reimbursement rates in Vermont
Reports MRI of an upper-extremity region outside a joint, without contrast, to evaluate soft-tissue or bone abnormalities when MRI findings are needed. Compare 73218 office and facility rates across CMS payment localities in Vermont.
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 73218 in Vermont?
Vermont has 1 payment locality in this comparison. Use the service location to choose the applicable amount. These are the supported base rates for the payment area shown below, using the same CMS release.
Office / nonfacility
$299.07
1 of 1 localities have a supported rate.
Payment area: Vermont
One mapped payment locality.
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.
MRI
About 73218: Non-joint upper-extremity MRI without contrast
Reports MRI of an upper-extremity region outside a joint, without contrast, to evaluate soft-tissue or bone abnormalities when MRI findings are needed.
This service is an MRI examination of an upper-extremity area that is not being imaged as a joint study, acquired without injected contrast. It can address concerns such as a soft-tissue mass, infection, or injury involving the arm, forearm, or non-joint-focused hand tissues. A radiologic technologist obtains images in a hospital or freestanding imaging center; a radiologist interprets them for the ordering clinician.
Choose this code when the documented target is an upper-extremity region rather than a joint-centered examination. The order and report should identify the body region, laterality, clinical indication, and noncontrast protocol. Report a separate service for each side examined; under CMS, each side is paid separately at 100% when performed bilaterally. The study may be billed globally, or the interpretation may be billed with modifier 26 and the equipment and staff portion with modifier TC; CMS separately prices those components. When multiple diagnostic imaging procedures are billed, the multiple-procedure reduction applies to both the professional and technical components.
CMS billing rules for 73218
- 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.
- Bilateral procedures
- Each side is paid separately at 100% when performed bilaterally.
Where the value comes from
- Work RVU1.32 · 15%
- Practice expense (office) RVU7.66 · 84%
- Malpractice RVU0.10 · 1%
40K
Medicare services in 2024 · #871 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.
73218 compared with similar codes
Office rates for Vermont, from the same CMS release.
$325.12
Both codes cover non-joint-focused upper-extremity MRI; 73219 is for a study performed with contrast.
$400.87
Both codes cover non-joint-focused upper-extremity MRI; 73220 is for imaging performed before and after contrast.
73200
No office rateCt upper extremity w/o dye
73200 reports a CT examination of the upper extremity without contrast, while this code reports MRI without contrast.
Compare 73218 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.
1 of 1 payment localities
Vermont →
Office / nonfacility
$299.07
Facility
Unavailable
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How this local rate is calculated
Each RVU component is multiplied by its own geographic practice cost index (GPCI). The three adjusted components are added, then multiplied by the conversion factor. These are the inputs used for 73218 in Vermont.
PPRRVU2026_Oct_nonQPP.csv
8,165
- Code
- 73218
- Physician work
- 1.32
- Practice expense
- 7.66
- Malpractice
- 0.10
GPCI2026.csv
105
- Locality
- Vermont
- Physician work
- 1.000
- Practice expense
- 0.990
- Malpractice
- 0.506
| Component | RVU | Locality factor | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician work | 1.32 | × 1.000 | 1.3200 |
| Practice expense | 7.66 | × 0.990 | 7.5834 |
| Malpractice | 0.10 | × 0.506 | 0.0506 |
| Total RVUs | 8.9540 | ||
| Conversion factor | × 33.4009 | ||
Office / nonfacility rate, Vermont$299.07
Explore RVUs, geographic factors and the full formula
Office / nonfacility
| Component | RVU | Local GPCI |
|---|---|---|
| Work | 1.32 | 1 |
| Practice expense | 7.66 | 0.99 |
| Malpractice | 0.1 | 0.506 |
(1.32 × 1 + 7.66 × 0.99 + 0.1 × 0.506) × $33.4009 = $299.07
The office and facility calculations use their respective practice-expense RVUs. The facility amount here is the physician fee, not a separate hospital or facility bill.
73218 billing questions
When should this code be chosen instead of a joint MRI code?
Use this code when the imaged target is an upper-extremity region outside a joint. A joint-centered examination, such as an MRI focused on the wrist or elbow joint, belongs to the joint MRI code family.
How does this differ from the contrast MRI codes in this family?
This code represents a noncontrast study. Use the corresponding family code when the examination uses contrast or includes both precontrast and postcontrast imaging.
Can the interpretation and image acquisition be billed separately?
Yes. Modifier 26 identifies the professional interpretation, and modifier TC identifies the technical service; billing without either modifier represents the global service.
How is a bilateral examination handled under the CMS payment rule?
CMS pays each side separately at 100% when both sides are examined. The documentation should support the examination of each side.
What documentation supports reporting this code?
Document the upper-extremity region and side examined, the clinical reason for imaging, and that the study was performed without contrast. The report should identify the findings for the imaged region.
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.
8,16273206,,Ct angio upr extrm w/o&w/dye,A,,1.76,6.95,,6.95,NA,0.14,8.85,8.85,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,5.94,5.94,0.14
8,16373206,26,Ct angio upr extrm w/o&w/dye,A,,1.76,0.60,,0.60,,0.11,2.47,2.47,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,16473206,TC,Ct angio upr extrm w/o&w/dye,A,,0.00,6.35,,6.35,NA,0.03,6.38,6.38,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,0,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,02,0,88,5.34,5.34,0.03
8,16573218,,Mri upper extremity w/o dye,A,,1.32,7.66,,7.66,NA,0.10,9.08,9.08,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,7.76,7.76,0.10
8,16673218,26,Mri upper extremity w/o dye,A,,1.32,0.49,,0.49,,0.07,1.88,1.88,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,0.00,0.00,0.00
8,16773218,TC,Mri upper extremity w/o dye,A,,0.00,7.17,,7.17,NA,0.03,7.20,7.20,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,01,0,88,7.27,7.27,0.03
8,16873219,,Mri upper extremity w/dye,A,,1.58,8.18,,8.18,NA,0.11,9.87,9.87,1,XXX,0.00,0.00,0.00,4,3,0,0,0,9,,33.4009,09,0,88,11.21,11.21,0.12
10204412,TX,18,HOUSTON,1.008,0.993,1.376
10304412,TX,99,REST OF TEXAS,1.000,0.949,0.903
10403502,UT,09,UTAH,1.000,0.940,0.898
10514512,VT,50,VERMONT,1.000,0.990,0.506
10611302,VA,00,VIRGINIA,1.000,0.983,0.706
10709202,VI,50,VIRGIN ISLANDS,1.000,1.011,0.985
10802402,WA,02,SEATTLE (KING CNTY),1.050,1.227,0.817