Imaging

72100 - RVUs & Medicare payment (2026)

Lumbar spine X-ray, 2-3 views.

Component	Non-facility	Facility
Work RVU	0.21	0.21
Practice expense RVU	0.98	0.98
Malpractice RVU	0.02	0.02
Total RVUs	1.21	1.21
National payment (CF $33.4009)	$40.42	$40.42
Qualifying APM payment (CF $33.5675)	$40.62	$40.62

How 72100 payment varies by locality

Medicare adjusts payment with geographic practice cost indices, so the same code pays differently across the 109 fee schedule localities. In 2026, non-facility payment for 72100 ranges from $35.48 in Arkansas (AR) to $55.34 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA); calculate 72100 for your locality.

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $55.34 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $55.25 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $54.14 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $54.12 Napa (CA) $50.94 Vallejo (CA) $50.90 Seattle (WA) $48.07 Santa Rosa-Petaluma (CA) $47.78 National average $40.42 … 97 more localities between … Alabama (AL) $36.03 Rest Of Missouri (MO) $35.88 Mississippi (MS) $35.69 Arkansas (AR) $35.48

Non-facility payment for 72100 in the 2026 fee schedule ($33.4009 conversion factor), before sequestration. Gray bar = national average.

Global period: XXX

No global period: the global surgery concept does not apply to this code.

Professional / technical split

72100 can be billed globally or split: modifier 26 for the professional component (interpretation) and TC for the technical component (equipment and staff).

Billing	Total RVUs (non-facility)	National payment
72100-26	0.32	$10.69
72100-TC	0.89	$29.73

Related codes - imaging

71045 · chest x-ray, single view
71046 · chest x-ray, 2 views
70450 · ct head/brain without contrast
70553 · mri brain without and with contrast
72148 · mri lumbar spine without contrast
73030 · shoulder x-ray, complete
73721 · mri lower-extremity joint without contrast
74177 · ct abdomen and pelvis with contrast
76700 · ultrasound, abdomen, complete
76805 · obstetric ultrasound, after first trimester
76856 · pelvic ultrasound, complete
77067 · screening mammography, bilateral
77066 · diagnostic mammography, bilateral

Frequently asked questions

How much does Medicare pay for 72100 in 2026?

The national non-facility payment is $40.42 and the facility payment is $40.42, using the standard $33.4009 conversion factor. Actual amounts vary by Medicare locality; use the RVU calculator for your area.

What is the work RVU for 72100?

The 2026 work RVU for 72100 is 0.21. Total RVUs are 1.21 in the non-facility setting and 1.21 in the facility setting.

Why are the facility and non-facility amounts different?

Only the practice expense component changes by setting. In an office (non-facility) the practice bears the overhead, so the PE RVU is higher; in a hospital or ASC the facility bills its own overhead separately.

Source: CMS Physician Fee Schedule relative value file (rvu26c.zip, retrieved 2026-07-11). Service description is an original plain-English summary, not CPT descriptor text. CPT® is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association. Amounts are estimates before sequestration and claim-level adjustments.