Billing code 97034: Contrast bathsMedicare rate & RVUs in Virginia
Reports therapist-applied alternating warm and cool water immersion for a body area, billed in 15-minute units as a physical therapy modality.
Medicare pays $13.82–$15.63 for 97034 in the office in Virginia, from Virginia to Dc + Md/Va Suburbs. 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 97034 covers
Contrast bath therapy alternates immersion of a body area in warm and cool water as a therapeutic modality. Physical and occupational therapists commonly provide it in outpatient rehabilitation settings, often for a hand, foot, or other extremity. The treatment differs from a hot or cold pack because the area is immersed in alternating-temperature water rather than treated with a pack.
Report one unit for each 15-minute increment supported by the treatment record. Documentation should identify the treated area, the contrast-bath intervention, the time provided, and its therapeutic purpose and response. This is a therapy service; a professional component modifier does not apply. Under the therapy multiple procedure payment reduction, CMS reduces practice expense for the second and later therapy units furnished 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 97034 pays more and less in Virginia
| Payment locality | Office | Facility |
|---|---|---|
| Dc + Md/Va Suburbs | $15.63 | Unavailable |
| Virginia | $13.82 | Unavailable |
How the 97034 rate is calculated
Each of 97034’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 · 97034
RVUs × geographic indexes × conversion factor
Work0.21
0.21 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Practice expense0.20
0.20 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Malpractice0.01
0.01 RVUs× 1.000 GPCI
Adjusted RVUs
0.4200
Conversion factor
$33.4009
Medicare rate
$14.03
Every GPCI starts at 1.000, the national rate. Enter a ZIP or drag a slider.
Payment rules and modifiers for 97034
The CMS indicators that decide how 97034 is paid alongside other services.
CMS payment indicators · 97034
Contrast baths
| 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
97034 without CQ · national office
$14.03
Contrast baths
97034-CQ · Allowed amount unchanged
$14.03
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.
97034 compared with similar codes
Compare codes · National
4 codes, side by side
How to choose
- 97010Hot or cold packs therapy
- Choose 97034 for alternating warm and cool water immersion; 97010 is for hot or cold pack treatment.
- 97022Whirlpool therapy
- Choose 97034 for alternating-temperature immersion. Code 97022 describes whirlpool therapy with agitated water.
- 97018Paraffin therapy
- Choose 97034 for water immersion at alternating temperatures; 97018 is paraffin bath treatment using heated wax.
97034 billing questions
How is this different from hot or cold pack therapy?
Contrast baths involve alternating warm and cool water immersion. Code 97010 describes hot or cold pack treatment, not alternating-temperature immersion.
How many units should be reported?
The code is reported in 15-minute units. Document the treatment time and the area treated to support the units billed.
Can a professional component modifier be appended?
No. CMS identifies this as a therapy service for which the professional component modifier does not apply.
How does the therapy multiple procedure payment reduction affect this service?
CMS reduces practice expense for the second and later therapy units furnished on the same day. The reduction applies to practice expense, not the work component.
When would 97022 be a better fit?
Use 97022 for whirlpool therapy involving agitated water. Code 97034 is for alternating warm and cool water immersion.
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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