Injection of contrast into a cervical or thoracic disc for discography, per level, to see whether that disc reproduces the patient's pain.
- Medicare
- $337.35
- Work RVU
- 2.84
- Global, days
- 0
- Region
- Spine
Documentation requirements
What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 3 cited references ↓
- Cervical or thoracic levels injected, including controls
- Pain response and concordance per level
- Volume and contrast spread
- Supervision and interpretation report
- Surgical decision the test supports
Applicable modifiers
Modifiers commonly billed with this code.
Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual
What this code covers
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 3 cited references ↓
62291 is the cervical and thoracic version of discography injection. Like the lumbar code, it is billed per level, and the imaging supervision and interpretation code is reported alongside it. Spine surgeons sometimes order it before a cervical fusion to confirm which levels are painful.
It carries the same coverage problems as lumbar discography, often worse. Many payers do not cover it at all, and cervical discography has more risk, so payers want strong support. Get authorization first and record how the results will change surgery.
Control levels are part of the test and each level injected is a unit. Fluoroscopy is included in the supervision and interpretation code. Describe the pain response, volume, and imaging findings for each disc. A same-day E/M needs its own decision and modifier 25, since this is a 0-day global and the procedure decision itself is included.
RVU & reimbursement
Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.
Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026
Work RVU vs. total RVU
The work RVU (2.84) is the surgeon's own effort — the figure physician pay and productivity targets are built on. The total RVU (10.1) adds practice overhead and malpractice, and is what drives the Medicare payment below.
| Work RVU | 2.84 |
| Practice expense RVU | 7.02 |
| Malpractice RVU | 0.24 |
| Total RVU | 10.1 |
| Medicare national rate | $337.35 |
| Global period | 0 days |
Payment by site of service
Medicare pays different rates by setting. HOPD typically pays substantially more than ASC for the same procedure.
Source · CMS OPPS Addendum B·ASC HCPCS payment rates·2026
| Setting | Medicare rate (national) |
|---|---|
Office (PFS non-facility) Procedure performed in physician's office | $337.35 |
Common denial reasons
The recurring reasons claims for CPT 62291 get rejected.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓
- Payer does not cover cervical or thoracic discography
- No authorization on file
- Separate fluoroscopy guidance billed
- Units do not match the documented levels
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 3 cited references ↓
01What imaging code goes with 62291?
02Is 62291 billed per level?
03Is cervical discography covered by insurance?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources.
Mira Scribe
Mira Scribe captures the pain response at each disc in the patient's words, which is the core of a concordance report.
See how Mira captures CPT 62291 documentation