Imaging · Hip

Radiologic examination of both hips, including the pelvis when performed, requiring a minimum of five views captured from multiple projections.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 8 sources ↓

Medicare: $61.46
Total RVUs: 1.84
Global, days
Region: Hip

Drawn from CMSAAPCPayerpriceFindacodeAAOS

Documentation requirements

What must appear in the operative or office note to support the claim.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 8 cited references ↓

Minimum of five views must be documented in the radiology report; fewer views triggers downcoding to 73502 or 73510
Specify bilateral nature of the examination — both left and right hips imaged in the same encounter
Document whether the pelvis was included in the imaging field, as this is captured in the code descriptor when performed
Clinical indication or ordering diagnosis supporting medical necessity (e.g., bilateral hip pain, post-THA follow-up, suspected AVN)
Radiologist interpretation and signed written report required for professional component billing under modifier 26
Supervising physician identity and supervision level documented for non-physician-owned portable X-ray suppliers

Applicable modifiers

Modifiers commonly billed with this code.

Source · AMA CPT modifier descriptors · CMS NCCI Policy Manual

26 Professional component 50 Bilateral procedure 52 Reduced services 59 Distinct service 76 Repeat, same physician 77 Repeat, another physician LT Left side RT Right side

What this code covers

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 8 cited references ↓

73523 covers a bilateral hip X-ray series of at least five views, with the pelvis included in the imaging field when clinically indicated. The multi-view requirement exists because no single projection fully characterizes the hip joint — AP pelvis, frog-leg laterals, cross-table laterals, and oblique views each reveal different pathology. This code is used across diagnostic radiology, orthopedic surgery, and portable X-ray settings.

The code has a PC/TC split, meaning the professional component (interpretation and report) and the technical component (equipment, tech, film) can be billed separately using modifiers 26 and TC respectively. If a radiologist reads the study and bills independently from the facility, both parties append the appropriate component modifier. The global (combined) bill carries neither.

Common indications include hip pain evaluation, post-arthroplasty surveillance, avascular necrosis staging, stress fracture workup, and pre-surgical planning. When ordered same-day alongside a unilateral hip study (73510 or 73520), expect NCCI scrutiny — document why both were medically necessary.

RVU & reimbursement

Component RVUs and Medicare national rate. Actual payment varies by GPCI locality.

Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026

Work RVU	0.3
Practice expense RVU	1.51
Malpractice RVU	0.03
Total RVU	1.84
Medicare national rate	$61.46
Global period	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	$61.46
HOPD (APC 5522) Hospital outpatient department	$106.81

Common denial reasons

The recurring reasons claims for CPT 73523 get rejected.

Source · Editorial brief grounded in CMS NCCI edits, AAOS coding appeals, and cited references ↓

Fewer than five views documented — payer downcodes to 73502 (minimum 2 views) or 73521 (2-3 views)
Modifier 26 or TC missing when facility and interpreting physician bill separately, causing duplicate-service denial
ICD-10 code is unilateral (e.g., M16.11 primary osteoarthritis, right hip) billed against a bilateral imaging code without documentation of bilateral clinical evaluation
Unbundling conflict when 73523 is billed same-day with 73510 or 73521 without modifier 59 and supporting documentation of distinct clinical necessity
Missing or unsigned radiology interpretation report when billing the professional component

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 8 cited references ↓

01When should I use 73523 versus 73521 or 73522?

73521 covers 2–3 views bilateral, 73522 covers 4 views bilateral, and 73523 requires a minimum of 5 views bilateral. Bill based on the actual number of views documented in the radiology report — not the number ordered.

02Does 73523 already include bilateral, or do I add modifier 50?

73523 is inherently bilateral — both hips are required by the code descriptor. Do not append modifier 50. Some payers will reject or reduce payment if modifier 50 is added to an already-bilateral code.

03How do I split-bill the professional and technical components?

The interpreting radiologist bills 73523-26 for the read and report. The facility or portable X-ray supplier bills 73523-TC for the technical component. The global bill (no modifier) covers both and is used when one entity owns both the equipment and provides the interpretation.

04Can 73523 be billed same-day as a hip arthroplasty procedure?

Yes — imaging is separately billable from surgical procedures since it carries its own distinct work. There is no global period bundling concern between a radiology code and a surgical CPT. Confirm the payer does not have a specific policy bundling pre-op imaging into the surgical global.

05What ICD-10 codes support medical necessity for 73523?

Bilateral diagnoses align cleanly: M16.0 (bilateral primary osteoarthritis of hip), M87.052/M87.051 (AVN bilateral), Z96.641–Z96.649 (hip prosthesis status for surveillance). If the patient has asymmetric symptoms, document evaluation of the contralateral hip to support the bilateral code.

06Is there an MUE limit I should know about for 73523?

CMS publishes MUE values in the NCCI tables — check the current Facility and Non-Facility MUE tables on the CMS NCCI page. Generally, bilateral imaging codes carry an MUE of 1 per date of service; a repeat study same-day requires modifier 76 or 77 with documentation of clinical necessity.

Sources & references

Editorial content was developed using the following public sources. Last verified May 8, 2026.

Mira AI Scribe

Mira's AI scribe captures the number of views obtained, which hips were imaged, whether the pelvis was included, and the clinical indication driving the order — all from dictation. That prevents the two most common denials: downcoding due to undocumented view count and medical-necessity rejections from a mismatched unilateral diagnosis on a bilateral study.

See how Mira captures CPT 73523 documentation