{
    "code": "72131",
    "coding_system": "CPT",
    "canonical_url": "https://localishealth.com/cpt/72131/2022/A",
    "release_specific_url": "https://localishealth.com/cpt/72131/2022/C",
    "description": "A CT scan of the lower back, covering the lumbar vertebrae and usually the top of the sacrum, taken without contrast dye and rebuilt into side and front views. It gives excellent detail of bone - fractures, slipped vertebrae, arthritic facet joints, narrowing of the canal from bone overgrowth - and is the usual choice when MRI is unavailable or ruled out by a pacemaker or other implant. Contrast versions of the same region exist and are reserved mainly for suspected infection or tumor.",
    "answer": {
        "question": "How much did Medicare pay for CPT 72131 in Q3 2022?",
        "text": "Medicare paid $138.77 for CPT 72131 in the office (non-facility) setting and $138.77 in a facility under the Q3 2022 Physician Fee Schedule, effective July 2022. These are the national allowed amounts before the ~2% sequestration cut and before locality (GPCI) adjustment. This price has been unchanged since Q1 2022, when it decreased 2.5%."
    },
    "release": {
        "schedule": "pfs",
        "year": 2022,
        "quarter": "C",
        "label": "Q3 2022",
        "effective": "July 1 – September 30, 2022",
        "revision": 1
    },
    "status": {
        "code": "A",
        "non_facility_payable": true,
        "facility_payable": true
    },
    "national_rates_usd": {
        "office_non_facility": 138.77,
        "facility": 138.77,
        "sequestration_applied": false,
        "gpci": 1
    },
    "rvus": {
        "work": 1,
        "practice_expense_non_facility": 2.95,
        "practice_expense_facility": 2.95,
        "malpractice": 0.06
    },
    "formula": "(work_rvu × work_gpci + pe_rvu × pe_gpci + mp_rvu × mp_gpci) × conversion_factor",
    "conversion_factor": 34.6062,
    "source": {
        "label": "Physician relative value file (Q3 2022)",
        "cms_url": "https://www.cms.gov/files/zip/rvu22c-updated-06172022.zip",
        "local_source_url": "https://localishealth.com/sources/physician-fee-schedule/2022/C",
        "file": "PPRRVU22_JUL.csv",
        "row": 12654,
        "sha256": "f0a493a192a21b1faa980aa71d22c8ae064e87b564f51a67e1229fcee376df41"
    },
    "modified_at": "2026-08-04T03:11:49+00:00"
}