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72285 Discography cerv/thor spine

What 72285 is

CMS fee schedule short descriptor: Discography cerv/thor spine.

Full CPT long descriptions are licensed by the American Medical Association and are not published on this site; the short descriptor above is the one CMS prints in its own fee schedule file. See About CPT.

Medicare payment for 72285 (CY2026)

Work RVUPractice expense RVUMalpractice RVUTotalMedicare rate
Non-facility (office)1.133.160.054.34$144.96
Facility (hospital, ASC)1.133.160.054.34$144.96

National rates: total RVUs x the CY2026 conversion factor of 33.4009 (non-QP), before geographic adjustment. Actual Medicare payment is 80% of the rate shown after the deductible; the patient or secondary payer owes the 20% coinsurance.


Status: Active - payable under the Physician Fee Schedule. Global period: Global concept does not apply.

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Medically Unlikely Edit (MUE)

Medicare caps 72285 at 4 units per date of service for practitioner claims (MAI 3 - date of service edit (clinical): units above the MUE may pay with documentation on appeal), rationale: Clinical: Data. Units above the cap are denied unless the edit's adjudication rules allow an appeal with documentation.

Billed with 72285? These codes are bundled into it

72285 is a Column 1 code in 23 active NCCI PTP edits. When one of these Column 2 codes is reported on the same date of service, it is denied as bundled - unless the edit's modifier indicator is 1 and documentation supports a distinct service with an NCCI-associated modifier.

Column 2 codeShort descriptionModifier indicator
00600Anes px crv spine&cord nos0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
00620Anes px thrc spine&cord nos0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
00625Anes thrc spine wo 1lng vent0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
00626Anes thrc spine w/1 lng vent0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
01937Anes drg/aspir crv/thrc0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
01938Anes drg/aspir lmbr/sac0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
01939Anes nulyt agt crv/thrc0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
01940Anes nulyt agt lmbr/sac0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
01941Anes neuromd/ntrvrt crv/thrc0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
01942Anes neuromd/ntrvrt lmbr/sac0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
36591Draw blood off venous device0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
36592Collect blood from picc0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
76000Fluoroscopy <1 hr phys/qhp1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
77001Fluoroguide for vein device1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
77002Needle localization by xray1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
77003Fluoroguide for spine inject1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
96523Irrig drug delivery device0 - no modifier bypassCheck pair
99446Ntrprof ph1/ntrnet/ehr 5-101 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
99447Ntrprof ph1/ntrnet/ehr 11-201 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
99448Ntrprof ph1/ntrnet/ehr 21-301 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
99449Ntrprof ph1/ntrnet/ehr 31/>1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
99451Ntrprof ph1/ntrnet/ehr 5/>1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair
99452Ntrprof ph1/ntrnet/ehr rfrl1 - modifier may bypassCheck pair

72285 is bundled into these codes

72285 appears as a Column 2 code in 17 active edits. Reported with one of these Column 1 codes on the same date of service, 72285 is the code that denies.

Column 1 codeShort descriptionModifier indicator
0274TPrq lamot/lam dcmpr crv/thrc0Check pair
22220Osteot dsc ant 1 vrt sgm crv1Check pair
22222Osteot dsc ant 1vrt sgm thrc1Check pair
22532Arthrd lat xtrcvtry tq thrc1Check pair
22551Arthrd ant ntrbdy cervical1Check pair
22554Arthrd ant ntrbd min dsc crv1Check pair
22556Arthrd ant ntrbd min dsc thc1Check pair
63001Remove spine lamina 1/2 crvl1Check pair
63003Remove spine lamina 1/2 thrc1Check pair
63015Remove spine lamina >2 crvcl1Check pair
63016Remove spine lamina >2 thrc1Check pair
63020Lamot dcmprn nrv rt 1 cerv0Check pair
63040Laminotomy single cervical0Check pair
63055Decompress spinal cord thrc1Check pair
63064Decompress spinal cord thrc1Check pair

Data: CMS CY2026 Physician Fee Schedule RVU file (October release, RVU26D) and Medicare NCCI PTP practitioner edits v32.3 (2026 Q4). Verify against the official files before billing or contracting decisions.