Imaging

73721 - RVUs & Medicare payment (2026)

MRI lower-extremity joint without contrast.

Component	Non-facility	Facility
Work RVU	1.32	1.32
Practice expense RVU	4.71	4.71
Malpractice RVU	0.09	0.09
Total RVUs	6.12	6.12
National payment (CF $33.4009)	$204.41	$204.41
Qualifying APM payment (CF $33.5675)	$205.43	$205.43

How 73721 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 73721 ranges from $180.77 in Arkansas (AR) to $277.40 in San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA); calculate 73721 for your locality.

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $277.40 San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara (CA) $276.99 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $271.48 San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley (CA) $271.37 Napa (CA) $255.74 Vallejo (CA) $255.59 Seattle (WA) $241.78 Santa Rosa-Petaluma (CA) $240.21 National average $204.41 … 97 more localities between … Alabama (AL) $183.44 Rest Of Missouri (MO) $182.63 Mississippi (MS) $181.76 Arkansas (AR) $180.77

Non-facility payment for 73721 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

73721 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
73721-26	1.88	$62.79
73721-TC	4.24	$141.62

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
72148 · mri lumbar spine without contrast
73030 · shoulder x-ray, complete
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 73721 in 2026?

The national non-facility payment is $204.41 and the facility payment is $204.41, 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 73721?

The 2026 work RVU for 73721 is 1.32. Total RVUs are 6.12 in the non-facility setting and 6.12 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.