Radiologic examination of the foot requiring a minimum of three views, used to evaluate fractures, arthritis, tumors, or structural abnormalities.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 5 sources ↓

Medicare: $34.07
Total RVUs: 1.02
Global, days
Region: Foot & ankle

Drawn from CMSExpressmbsAAPC

Documentation requirements

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

Source · Editorial brief grounded in 5 cited references ↓

Radiology report must document a minimum of three views obtained
Report must include the specific foot imaged — laterality (right or left) explicitly stated
Interpretation must address findings relevant to the clinical indication (fracture, arthritis, deformity, etc.)
Ordering provider's clinical indication or diagnosis must support medical necessity — screening X-rays are not covered
For IDTF billing, interpreting physician must meet credential requirements per CMS Article A57807
If split billing, document which entity performed the technical vs. professional component

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 5 cited references ↓

73630 is the go-to code for a complete foot X-ray — minimum three views — covering the full osseous and soft-tissue structure of the foot, including the toes and calcaneus. Per the CMS NCCI Policy Manual, those anatomic regions are already included in 73630; separately billing 73650 (calcaneus) or 73660 (toes) for the same foot on the same date is a bundling violation and will trigger an edit.

The code carries a global period of XXX, meaning no surgical global applies and the service is billable as rendered. Laterality modifiers LT and RT are not optional niceties — many payers auto-deny unilateral foot studies submitted without them. For bilateral imaging, check whether the payer wants a single line with modifier 50 or two lines with RT and LT; that distinction is payer-variable and worth confirming before the claim drops.

For IDTFs billing under Medicare, 73630 requires supervision level 01 (general), with interpreting physician qualifications limited to board-certified radiologists, orthopedic surgeons, or podiatrists, and technical staff credentialed accordingly. The professional component (interpretation and report) bills with modifier 26; the technical component bills with modifier TC when split billing applies.

RVU & reimbursement

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

Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026

Work RVU	0.17
Practice expense RVU	0.83
Malpractice RVU	0.02
Total RVU	1.02
Medicare national rate	$34.07
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	$34.07
HOPD (APC 5521) Hospital outpatient department	$88.91

Common denial reasons

The recurring reasons claims for CPT 73630 get rejected.

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

Missing laterality modifier — payers auto-deny unilateral studies submitted without LT or RT
Bundling violation: 73650 or 73660 billed with 73630 for the same foot on the same date
Incomplete or missing radiology report — interpretation not documented or signed
Lack of medical necessity — no documented clinical indication linking the imaging to a covered diagnosis
Incorrect modifier format for bilateral imaging — payer expected modifier 50 instead of two-line RT/LT or vice versa

Frequently asked questions

Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 5 cited references ↓

01Can 73630 and 73650 be billed together?

Not for the same foot on the same date. The NCCI Policy Manual explicitly states that 73650 (calcaneus) is bundled into 73630 because the calcaneus is part of the foot. If imaging is performed on opposite feet, bill with RT and LT modifiers to distinguish laterality — that combination is payable.

02Is modifier 50 or RT/LT correct for bilateral foot X-rays?

It depends on the payer. Medicare and many commercial payers accept modifier 50 on a single line. Some commercial payers prefer two separate lines, one with RT and one with LT. Confirm the payer's preference before submitting — getting it wrong costs you a denial and a resubmission cycle.

03Can 73630 be billed during a surgical global period?

Yes, with the right modifier. If the X-ray is unrelated to the surgery driving the global, append modifier 24 (for an E/M) or modifier 79 (for a procedure or imaging service) to step outside the global. Document that the imaging indication is distinct from the surgical diagnosis.

04What is the supervision level requirement for IDTFs billing 73630?

CMS sets supervision level 01 (general) for 73630 at an IDTF. The interpreting physician must be a board-certified radiologist, orthopedic surgeon, or podiatrist. The technologist must hold a state general radiography license, medical physicist credentials, or ARRT R.T.-R certification.

05When should modifier 26 be used with 73630?

Use modifier 26 when the physician provides only the professional component — the interpretation and written report — and a separate entity owns and operates the equipment. The technical component then bills under modifier TC by that entity. If the same provider does both, bill 73630 with no component modifier (global billing).

06Does 73630 cover toe X-rays, or does 73660 need to be added?

73630 already includes the toes. The NCCI Policy Manual is explicit: because the foot includes the toes, billing 73660 alongside 73630 for the same foot on the same date is a bundling violation. No modifier overrides this edit for the same foot.

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 laterality of the foot imaged, the number of views obtained, and the clinical indication driving the order — all pulled directly from provider dictation. That prevents the two most common 73630 denials: missing LT/RT and a mismatched or absent diagnosis code. The scribe also flags when 73650 or 73660 appears on the same encounter for the same foot, alerting the coder before the claim is submitted.

See how Mira captures CPT 73630 documentation