Imaging

72148 - RVUs & Medicare payment (2026)

MRI lumbar spine without contrast.

Component	Non-facility	Facility
Work RVU	1.44	1.44
Practice expense RVU	4.20	4.20
Malpractice RVU	0.10	0.10
Total RVUs	5.74	5.74
National payment (CF $33.4009)	$191.72	$191.72
Qualifying APM payment (CF $33.5675)	$192.68	$192.68

How 72148 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 72148 ranges from $170.32 in Arkansas (AR) to $257.47 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA); calculate 72148 for your locality.

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $257.47 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $257.00 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $252.00 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $251.89 Napa (CA) $237.72 Vallejo (CA) $237.55 Seattle (WA) $225.36 NYC Suburbs/Long Island (NY) $224.18 National average $191.72 … 97 more localities between … Alabama (AL) $172.74 Rest Of Missouri (MO) $172.28 Mississippi (MS) $171.35 Arkansas (AR) $170.32

Non-facility payment for 72148 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

72148 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
72148-26	2.05	$68.47
72148-TC	3.69	$123.25

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
72100 · lumbar spine x-ray, 2-3 views
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 72148 in 2026?

The national non-facility payment is $191.72 and the facility payment is $191.72, 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 72148?

The 2026 work RVU for 72148 is 1.44. Total RVUs are 5.74 in the non-facility setting and 5.74 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.