Imaging · Foot & ankle

73650

Radiologic examination of the calcaneus (heel bone), requiring a minimum of two views.

Verified May 8, 2026 · 5 sources ↓

Medicare
$28.39
Total RVUs
0.85
Global, days
Region
Foot & ankle
Drawn from CMSBedrockbillingAAPC

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 confirm minimum of two views obtained and name the views (e.g., lateral, axial/Harris).
  • Clinical indication must be documented — fracture suspicion, heel pain etiology, plantar fasciitis workup, or post-traumatic evaluation.
  • Ordering provider's documented clinical rationale must support medical necessity for the specific calcaneus-focused study.
  • If billed same-day with other lower extremity imaging, document distinct clinical indication justifying a separate calcaneus series rather than a complete foot study.

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 XS Separate structure

What this code covers

Source · Editorial summary grounded in 5 cited references ↓

CPT 73650 covers a heel X-ray series of at least two views used to evaluate the calcaneus for fractures, stress reactions, arthritis, bone spurs, tumors, or congenital abnormalities. The two-view minimum is a hard requirement — a single lateral view alone doesn't meet the threshold and won't support the code.

The most critical NCCI rule for this code: 73650 cannot be reported with 73630 (complete foot X-ray, minimum 3 views) for the same foot on the same date of service. CMS policy treats the calcaneus as anatomically included in the foot series. If a complete foot study is ordered, bill 73630 — not 73630 plus 73650.

Bilateral heel studies require separate line entries with LT and RT modifiers, or modifier 50, depending on payer preference. Global period is XXX, meaning no surgical global applies — this is a standalone diagnostic service billed per episode.

RVU & reimbursement

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

Source · CMS Physician Fee Schedule, RVU26A · January 2026

Work RVU0.16
Practice expense RVU0.67
Malpractice RVU0.02
Total RVU0.85
Medicare national rate$28.39
Global perioddays

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

SettingMedicare rate (national)
Office (PFS non-facility)
Procedure performed in physician's office
$28.39
HOPD (APC 5521)
Hospital outpatient department
$88.91

Common denial reasons

The recurring reasons claims for CPT 73650 get rejected.

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

  • Bundled with 73630 (complete foot X-ray) billed same foot, same date — NCCI prohibits this combination.
  • Medical necessity not established: diagnosis code doesn't map to a heel-specific condition.
  • Single-view study billed as 73650 — the code requires a minimum of two views.
  • Missing or unsigned radiology report at time of claim adjudication.

Frequently asked questions

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

01Can I bill 73650 and 73630 together for the same foot on the same date?
No. CMS NCCI policy explicitly prohibits billing 73650 with 73630 for the same foot on the same date of service. The calcaneus is anatomically included in the complete foot series. Bill one or the other based on what was ordered and performed.
02What views are required to support 73650?
A minimum of two views is required. Typical projections are the lateral and axial (Harris-Beath) views. Document both view names in the radiology report — a single lateral doesn't satisfy the code definition.
03How do I bill bilateral heel X-rays?
Use separate line items with LT and RT modifiers, or a single line with modifier 50. Confirm your payer's preference — Medicare generally accepts 50, but some commercial payers require separate lines.
04Which diagnosis codes best support medical necessity for 73650?
Calcaneal fracture (S92.0x), heel pain (M79.671/M79.672), plantar fasciitis (M72.2), calcaneal spur (M77.31/M77.32), and Achilles tendon disorders are the strongest ICD-10 pairings. Avoid nonspecific foot pain codes when a heel-specific condition is documented.
05Is 73650 ever denied when billed after heel surgery during the global period?
73650 carries a XXX global — there is no surgical global period attached to this imaging code itself. However, if it's ordered as a routine post-op check for a procedure that carries its own global period, and the imaging is considered integral to that procedure's global, the surgeon's practice may face denial. Portable X-ray suppliers billing under their own NPI are generally unaffected by the surgeon's global.
06What does modifier 26 apply to for 73650?
Modifier 26 isolates the professional component — the radiologist's or ordering physician's interpretation and report — when the technical component (equipment, film, technologist) is billed separately. Use it when your practice reads films taken at an outside facility or hospital.

Sources & references

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

  1. 01CMS Physician Fee Schedule 2026
  2. 02
    cms.gov
    https://www.cms.gov/files/document/09-chapter9-ncci-medicare-policy-manual-2025finalcleanpdf.pdf
  3. 03
    cms.gov
    https://www.cms.gov/files/document/2025nccimedicarepolicymanualcompletepdf.pdf
  4. 04
    bedrockbilling.com
    https://bedrockbilling.com/static/cci/73650
  5. 05
    aapc.com
    https://www.aapc.com/codes/cpt-codes/73650

Mira AI Scribe

Mira's AI scribe captures the number of views obtained, the named projections (lateral, axial/Harris, Broden's), and the specific clinical indication driving the calcaneus-focused study rather than a complete foot series. That documentation prevents the two most common denials: single-view undercoding and NCCI bundling with 73630 when the clinical intent was heel-specific.

See how Mira captures CPT 73650 documentation

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