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CPT 64483: Transforaminal Epidural Injection, Single Lumbar or Sacral Level

CPT code 64483 represents a single-level transforaminal epidural injection of an anesthetic agent and/or steroid in the lumbar or sacral spine. This targeted interventional pain procedure is commonly used to treat radicular pain and inflammatory conditions affecting the nerve root. Nationally, transforaminal epidural injections are a frequently utilized nonoperative pain-management option with implications for utilization management, prior authorization policies, and site-of-service decisions.

Key payers addressed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, United Healthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context for transforaminal epidural steroid injections, typical sites of service, commonly associated diagnoses, and related procedure codes. The publication outlines payer coverage considerations and commonly applied modifiers for claim processing, highlights coding relationships to adjacent services (such as additional-level injections and fluoroscopic guidance), and identifies relevant specialty taxonomies that frequently bill for this service.

This summary provides clinicians, coding professionals, and revenue cycle staff with concise reference information on CPT code 64483, operational implications for billing and site selection, and the clinical scenarios in which this code is typically reported.

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Billing Code Overview

CPT code 64483 describes the injection of an anesthetic agent and/or steroid as a transforaminal epidural injection into a single lumbar or sacral level. This procedure is used to deliver corticosteroid and/or local anesthetic medication into the epidural space via the neural foramen to target nerve root inflammation and radicular pain.

Service type: Image-guided transforaminal epidural steroid injection (single level)

Typical site of service: Outpatient ambulatory surgical center or hospital outpatient department, or office-based procedural suite

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

National averages position Medicare at a mean of $275.30 and BUCA (an average commercial benchmark) at $588.50, so BUCA’s mean is roughly $313.20 higher than Medicare, indicating materially higher commercial reimbursements for CPT 64483 versus the CMS average. Blue Cross Blue Shield’s mean ($810.30) and UnitedHealth Group’s mean ($348.20) bracket BUCA, while Aetna ($231.60) and Cigna ($298.30) sit closer to Medicare, illustrating a layered commercial market where some payers pay well above the Medicare baseline and others remain near it.

Dispersion measured by the interquartile range (P75 minus P25) highlights variation: Blue Cross Blue Shield is the widest with a spread of $!124100.00? Wait—must compute correctly. Compute P75-P25 for each: Aetna 300.2-92.4=207.8 -> $207.80; BCBS 1124.1-408.7=715.4 -> $715.40; BUCA 804.9-299.8=505.1 -> $505.10; Cigna 385.6-161.6=224.0 -> $224.00; UnitedHealth Group 452.0-209.5=242.5 -> $242.50; Medicare 286-255=31 -> $31.00. Blue Cross Blue Shield has the widest IQR at $715.40, while Medicare is the tightest at $31.00, with BUCA showing substantial commercial spread at $505.10.

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CPT 64483: Transforaminal Epidural Injection, Single Lumbar or Sacral Level

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Billing Code Overview

Service type: Image-guided transforaminal epidural steroid injection (single level)

Typical site of service: Outpatient ambulatory surgical center or hospital outpatient department, or office-based procedural suite

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

National Payer Mean Reimbursement Rates

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 52-year-old patient with a several-month history of progressive right-sided lower back pain radiating into the posterior right thigh and calf, exacerbated by sitting and coughing, presents to a pain management clinic. Prior conservative care — physical therapy, oral analgesics including NSAIDs, and a short course of oral steroids — provided inadequate relief. Lumbar MRI demonstrates a right paracentral L4–L5 herniated nucleus pulposus with nerve root compression consistent with radiculopathy.

The clinical workflow begins with pre-procedure evaluation in the clinic: focused history and neurological exam, review of recent imaging, medication reconciliation (anticoagulant management per facility policy), informed consent documenting expected benefits and risks, and verification of the target spinal level. On the day of service the patient is brought to a procedure suite or fluoroscopy-equipped ambulatory surgical center. The procedure involves sterile preparation, local skin anesthesia, fluoroscopic guidance to the L4–L5 neural foramen, contrast confirmation of epidural/foraminal spread as indicated, and administration of a corticosteroid and/or local anesthetic via a transforaminal approach to a single lumbar level. Post-procedure monitoring occurs for vital signs and immediate complications before discharge with post-procedure instructions and follow-up planning.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when reporting only the physician’s professional interpretation or service separate from technical facility services when applicable.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use if the transforaminal injection is performed bilaterally at the same level and payer requires bilateral modifier reporting.
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when additional distinct procedures are billed on the same date; sequence per payer rules.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the service is partially reduced or not completed as originally planned.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but aborted for patient-related or clinical reasons prior to completion.
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use to indicate a distinct procedural service when multiple injections or procedures on the same day might be bundled.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use if two surgeons (different specialties) are required and report separately per payer policies.
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use when the same physician repeats the procedure later the same day.
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	Use when another physician repeats the procedure later the same day.
`79`	Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period	Use when the transforaminal injection is unrelated to the original procedure during the global period.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when reporting only the technical component (facility, equipment, supplies) separate from the physician’s professional service.
`XE`	Separate encounter, a service that is distinct because it occurred during a separate encounter	Use when the service is performed during a different encounter and must be reported as distinct from other same-day services.
`XU`	Unusual non-overlapping service	Use when the procedure is distinct because it does not overlap typical components of another billed service.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207L00000X`	Anesthesiology	Anesthesiologists frequently perform image-guided spine injections and manage peri-procedural sedation and analgesia.
`208VP0000X`	Pain Medicine Physician	Pain specialists commonly perform transforaminal epidural injections for radicular pain management.
`207XS0117X`	Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine	Spine surgeons perform or supervise targeted epidural injections as part of nonoperative management or diagnostic workup.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`M54.5`	Low back pain	Common presenting symptom prompting diagnostic evaluation and targeted transforaminal epidural injection for pain relief.
`M51.16`	Intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy, lumbar region	Disc herniation causing nerve root compression; a primary indication for a transforaminal epidural injection at the affected level.
`M54.16`	Radiculopathy, lumbar region	Symptom complex of nerve root irritation or compression that is often treated with targeted transforaminal steroid or anesthetic injections.
`G89.29`	Other chronic pain	Descriptive code for chronic pain syndromes where epidural interventions may be part of multimodal management.
`M54.30`	Sciatica, unspecified side	Radicular leg pain commonly originating from lumbar nerve root pathology; transforaminal injection can provide diagnostic and therapeutic benefit.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`64484`	Injection(s), anesthetic agent and/or steroid, transforaminal epidural; lumbar or sacral, each additional level	Used when injections are performed at more than one lumbar or sacral level on the same date; billed in addition to the primary single-level code.
`62323`	Injection(s), of diagnostic or therapeutic substance(s), lumbar or sacral; with or without contrast	Alternative code for interlaminar or epidural injections differing in approach; may be used for non-transforaminal epidural injections.
`77003`	Fluoroscopic guidance and localization of needle or catheter tip for spine or paraspinous diagnostic or therapeutic injection procedures	Billed when fluoroscopic guidance is used to localize the needle tip during the transforaminal injection; often reported in conjunction per payer rules.
`20552`	Injection(s); single or multiple trigger point(s), 1 or 2 muscle(s)	Additional procedure that may be performed during the same visit for myofascial pain; reported separately if clinically distinct.

CPT 64400: Trigeminal Nerve Branch Injection

CPT-64405-GREATER-OCCIPITAL-NERVE-INJECTION

CPT 64405: Greater Occipital Nerve Injection for Pain Management

CPT-64408-VAGUS-NERVE-INJECTION

CPT 64408: Vagus Nerve Injection of Anesthetic and/or Steroid

CPT-64415-BRACHIAL-PLEXUS-NERVE-BLOCK-INJECTION

CPT 64415: Brachial Plexus Nerve Block Injection

CPT-64416-BRACHIAL-PLEXUS-CONTINUOUS-INFUSION-CATHETER

CPT 64416: Brachial Plexus Catheter Placement with Continuous Infusion

CPT-64417-AXILLARY-NERVE-INJECTION-NERVE-BLOCK

CPT 64417: Axillary Nerve Injection (Nerve Block)

CPT-64418-SUPRASCAPULAR-NERVE-INJECTION-SHOULDER

CPT 64418: Suprascapular Nerve Injection for Shoulder Pain

CPT-64420-INTERCOSTAL-NERVE-INJECTION

CPT 64420: Intercostal Nerve Injection

CPT-64421-INTERCOSTAL-NERVE-INJECTION-ADDITIONAL-LEVEL

CPT 64421: Intercostal Nerve Injection, Additional Level

CPT-64425-ILIOINGUINAL-ILIOHYPOGASTRIC-NERVE-INJECTION

CPT 64425: Ilioinguinal/Iliohypogastric Nerve Injection

Showing 1–10 of 37

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

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Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`26`	Professional component	Use when reporting only the physician’s professional interpretation or service separate from technical facility services when applicable.
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use if the transforaminal injection is performed bilaterally at the same level and payer requires bilateral modifier reporting.
`51`	Multiple procedures	Use when additional distinct procedures are billed on the same date; sequence per payer rules.
`52`	Reduced services	Use when the service is partially reduced or not completed as originally planned.
`53`	Discontinued procedure	Use when the procedure is started but aborted for patient-related or clinical reasons prior to completion.
`59`	Distinct procedural service	Use to indicate a distinct procedural service when multiple injections or procedures on the same day might be bundled.
`62`	Two surgeons	Use if two surgeons (different specialties) are required and report separately per payer policies.
`76`	Repeat procedure by same physician	Use when the same physician repeats the procedure later the same day.
`77`	Repeat procedure by another physician	Use when another physician repeats the procedure later the same day.
`79`	Unrelated procedure or service by the same physician during the postoperative period	Use when the transforaminal injection is unrelated to the original procedure during the global period.
`TC`	Technical component	Use when reporting only the technical component (facility, equipment, supplies) separate from the physician’s professional service.
`XE`	Separate encounter, a service that is distinct because it occurred during a separate encounter	Use when the service is performed during a different encounter and must be reported as distinct from other same-day services.
`XU`	Unusual non-overlapping service	Use when the procedure is distinct because it does not overlap typical components of another billed service.

Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
`207L00000X`	Anesthesiology	Anesthesiologists frequently perform image-guided spine injections and manage peri-procedural sedation and analgesia.
`208VP0000X`	Pain Medicine Physician	Pain specialists commonly perform transforaminal epidural injections for radicular pain management.
`207XS0117X`	Orthopaedic Surgery of the Spine	Spine surgeons perform or supervise targeted epidural injections as part of nonoperative management or diagnostic workup.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`M54.5`	Low back pain	Common presenting symptom prompting diagnostic evaluation and targeted transforaminal epidural injection for pain relief.
`M51.16`	Intervertebral disc disorders with radiculopathy, lumbar region	Disc herniation causing nerve root compression; a primary indication for a transforaminal epidural injection at the affected level.
`M54.16`	Radiculopathy, lumbar region	Symptom complex of nerve root irritation or compression that is often treated with targeted transforaminal steroid or anesthetic injections.
`G89.29`	Other chronic pain	Descriptive code for chronic pain syndromes where epidural interventions may be part of multimodal management.
`M54.30`	Sciatica, unspecified side	Radicular leg pain commonly originating from lumbar nerve root pathology; transforaminal injection can provide diagnostic and therapeutic benefit.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`64484`	Injection(s), anesthetic agent and/or steroid, transforaminal epidural; lumbar or sacral, each additional level	Used when injections are performed at more than one lumbar or sacral level on the same date; billed in addition to the primary single-level code.
`62323`	Injection(s), of diagnostic or therapeutic substance(s), lumbar or sacral; with or without contrast	Alternative code for interlaminar or epidural injections differing in approach; may be used for non-transforaminal epidural injections.
`77003`	Fluoroscopic guidance and localization of needle or catheter tip for spine or paraspinous diagnostic or therapeutic injection procedures	Billed when fluoroscopic guidance is used to localize the needle tip during the transforaminal injection; often reported in conjunction per payer rules.
`20552`	Injection(s); single or multiple trigger point(s), 1 or 2 muscle(s)	Additional procedure that may be performed during the same visit for myofascial pain; reported separately if clinically distinct.

CPT 64400: Trigeminal Nerve Branch Injection

CPT-64405-GREATER-OCCIPITAL-NERVE-INJECTION

CPT 64405: Greater Occipital Nerve Injection for Pain Management

CPT-64408-VAGUS-NERVE-INJECTION

CPT 64408: Vagus Nerve Injection of Anesthetic and/or Steroid

CPT-64415-BRACHIAL-PLEXUS-NERVE-BLOCK-INJECTION

CPT 64415: Brachial Plexus Nerve Block Injection

CPT-64416-BRACHIAL-PLEXUS-CONTINUOUS-INFUSION-CATHETER

CPT 64416: Brachial Plexus Catheter Placement with Continuous Infusion

CPT-64417-AXILLARY-NERVE-INJECTION-NERVE-BLOCK

CPT 64417: Axillary Nerve Injection (Nerve Block)

CPT-64418-SUPRASCAPULAR-NERVE-INJECTION-SHOULDER

CPT 64418: Suprascapular Nerve Injection for Shoulder Pain

CPT-64420-INTERCOSTAL-NERVE-INJECTION

CPT 64420: Intercostal Nerve Injection

CPT-64421-INTERCOSTAL-NERVE-INJECTION-ADDITIONAL-LEVEL

CPT 64421: Intercostal Nerve Injection, Additional Level

CPT-64425-ILIOINGUINAL-ILIOHYPOGASTRIC-NERVE-INJECTION

CPT 64425: Ilioinguinal/Iliohypogastric Nerve Injection

Showing 1–10 of 37

Frequently Asked Questions

References

1.CPT® Codes and Descriptions. AAPC. Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.Maintains the CPT code set's official descriptions and guidelines, licensed from the American Medical Association, used as the definitional source for CPT codes on this page.
2.HCPCS Quarterly Update. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's quarterly release of HCPCS Level II codes and short/long descriptors, the source for HCPCS code definitions and update history.
3.ICD-10-CM Full Code List. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Retrieved Aug 11, 2026.CMS's complete ICD-10-CM diagnosis code list, used to cross-reference diagnosis codes associated with this procedure or service.

Published by

Trek Health powers OpenPayer with a leading commercial payer intelligence platform, seamlessly converting fragmented payer data into actionable insights for provider organizations.

OpenPayer

CPT 64483: Transforaminal Epidural Injection, Single Lumbar or Sacral Level

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Billing Code Overview

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

OpenPayer

CPT 64483: Transforaminal Epidural Injection, Single Lumbar or Sacral Level

Sign up for cpt 64483 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

References

CPT 64483: Transforaminal Epidural Injection, Single Lumbar or Sacral Level

Sign up for cpt 64483 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

CPT 64483: Transforaminal Epidural Injection, Single Lumbar or Sacral Level

Sign up for cpt 64483 policy alerts

Billing Code Overview

National Reimbursement Benchmarks

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

What clinical procedure does CPT 64483 describe and where is it typically performed?

Which diagnoses are commonly associated with billing CPT 64483?

Which claim modifiers are commonly used with CPT 64483 and when are they applied?

How do reimbursement rates for CPT 64483 compare across payers and to Medicare?

What related CPT codes should be considered when billing for a transforaminal injection using CPT 64483?

References

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

Coding Specifications

Related Diagnoses

Related CPT Codes

Related Codes

What clinical procedure does CPT 64483 describe and where is it typically performed?

Which diagnoses are commonly associated with billing CPT 64483?

Which claim modifiers are commonly used with CPT 64483 and when are they applied?

How do reimbursement rates for CPT 64483 compare across payers and to Medicare?

What related CPT codes should be considered when billing for a transforaminal injection using CPT 64483?

References