CPT 73522 Bilateral Hip X‑Rays Reimbursement | OpenPayer

Summary & Overview

CPT 73522: Bilateral Hip X‑Rays, Multiple Projections

CPT code 73522 identifies a diagnostic radiology service consisting of three to four X-ray images of both hips from multiple projections to assess for fractures, swelling, or other causes of hip pain; the pelvis may be included when performed. This imaging code matters nationally because hip pain and trauma are common reasons for emergency and outpatient imaging, and standardized coding supports appropriate utilization tracking, billing accuracy, and care coordination. Key payers discussed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare.

Readers will find a concise overview of clinical context for bilateral hip radiographs, common sites of service where this procedure is performed, and payer coverage considerations. The publication summarizes benchmarks and typical use patterns, highlights relevant policy updates affecting radiology billing and documentation, and outlines common modifiers used with imaging services. Clinical context includes indications such as suspected hip fracture, acute hip pain, and evaluation after trauma. Where specific data elements were not provided in the input, the text notes that those details are not available. This resource is intended for payers, billing administrators, radiology departments, and clinicians who need a clear, national-level summary of CPT code 73522 and its role in diagnostic hip imaging.

AetnaBlue Cross Blue ShieldCigna HealthUnitedHealthcareMedicare73522CPTradiologyhip-x-raydiagnostic-imagingmusculoskeletalemergency-imagingoutpatient-imaging

Billing Code Overview

CPT code 73522 describes a diagnostic radiographic procedure that obtains three to four X-ray images of both hips (left and right) from multiple projections to evaluate for fracture, swelling, or other causes of hip pain, and may include the pelvis when performed.

Service type: Diagnostic radiology, bilateral hip radiographs with multiple projections
Typical site of service: Hospital radiology department, outpatient imaging center, or emergency department imaging suite

Data not available in the input for modifiers, taxonomies, ICD-10 diagnoses, and related codes.

Clinical & Coding Specifications

Clinical Context

A 68-year-old patient presents to the emergency department after a ground-level fall with acute left hip pain and inability to bear weight. The patient has localized tenderness over the greater trochanter and shortened, externally rotated lower extremity on the left. The ED provider orders radiographic evaluation to assess for fracture, dislocation, or occult pathology. In the radiology workflow, a radiologic technologist performs a bilateral hip series obtaining three to four views of each hip (including anteroposterior pelvis and targeted lateral or frog-leg projections as tolerated). Images are reviewed by an on-site radiologist who issues a diagnostic report describing any acute fracture, joint effusion, degenerative change, or pelvic involvement. The study may be performed in outpatient orthopedic clinics, urgent care, or hospital radiology departments and is frequently ordered by emergency physicians, orthopedic surgeons, or primary care clinicians for acute trauma, suspected fracture, or persistent hip pain.

Coding Specifications

Modifier	Description	When to Use
`50`	Bilateral procedure	Use when both left and right hips are imaged and billed as a bilateral service if payer requires bilateral modifier rather than separate side-specific reporting.
`59`

CPT 73720: MRI of Lower Extremity, Non-Joint, Without and With Contrast

CPT-73706-LOWER-EXTREMITY-CT-ANGIOGRAPHY

CPT 73706: Lower Extremity Computed Tomography Angiography

CPT-73564-KNEE-RADIOGRAPHS-FOUR-OR-MORE-VIEWS

CPT 73564: Knee Radiographs, Four or More Views

CPT-73650-CALCANEUS-XRAY-TWO-VIEWS

CPT 73650: Calcaneus X‑ray, Minimum Two Views

CPT-73701-CT-LOWER-EXTREMITY-WITH-CONTRAST

CPT 73701: CT Scan of Lower Extremity with Contrast

CPT-73615-ANKLE-ARTHROGRAPHY-IMAGING-INTERPRETATION

CPT 73615: Ankle Arthrography Imaging Supervision and Interpretation

CPT-73525-HIP-ARTHROGRAPHY-IMAGING-SUPERVISION-INTERPRETATION

CPT 73525: Hip Arthrography Imaging Supervision and Interpretation

CPT-73502-HIP-XRAY-TWO-THREE-PROJECTIONS

CPT 73502: Hip X‑ray, Two or Three Projections

CPT-73560-KNEE-XRAY-ONE-OR-TWO-VIEWS

CPT 73560: Knee X‑ray, One or Two Views

CPT-73660-TOE-XRAY-TWO-OR-MORE-VIEWS

CPT 73660: Radiograph, Toes, Minimum Two Views

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Taxonomy Code	Specialty	Notes
207RH0000X	Radiology	Diagnostic radiologists interpret hip radiographs and provide final reports.
207RX0300X	Diagnostic Radiology - Pediatric Radiology	Pediatric radiologists interpret pediatric hip imaging when applicable.
2085P0200X	Emergency Medicine	Emergency physicians commonly order acute hip radiographs for trauma evaluation.
208000000X	Family Medicine	Family physicians may order outpatient hip radiographs for nonacute hip pain.
208M00000X	Orthopaedic Surgery	Orthopedic surgeons review images for fracture management and operative planning.

Related Diagnoses

ICD-10 Code	Description	Clinical Relevance
`S72.001A`	Fracture of unspecified part of neck of right femur, initial encounter for closed fracture	Hip radiographs are first-line imaging to confirm femoral neck fracture after trauma.
`S72.002A`	Fracture of unspecified part of neck of left femur, initial encounter for closed fracture	Left-sided correlate; imaging assesses side and extent of fracture.
`M25.551`	Pain in right hip	Common non-specific complaint prompting hip radiography to evaluate degenerative or acute causes.
`M25.552`	Pain in left hip	Left-sided hip pain frequently evaluated by hip radiographs.
`S33.4XXA`	Sprain of sacroiliac joint, initial encounter	Pelvic/hip imaging may be used to evaluate traumatic pelvic ring or sacroiliac injuries.
`R10.9`	Abdominal pain, unspecified	Occasionally hip/pelvic radiographs are obtained when pelvic pathology is suspected to cause referred pain.
`M16.11`	Unilateral primary osteoarthritis, right hip	Radiographs assess joint space narrowing and osteoarthritic change as cause of hip pain.
`M16.12`	Unilateral primary osteoarthritis, left hip	Left-sided osteoarthritis assessment via hip radiographs.

Related CPT Codes

CPT Code	Description	Relationship to This Procedure
`73520`	Radiologic examination, hip, unilateral; 2 views	Often performed when only a single hip is imaged; may be ordered instead of a bilateral series when symptoms are unilateral.
`73521`	Radiologic examination, hip, unilateral; 3 or more views	Alternative when a unilateral hip requires more than two views; similar imaging complexity to `73522` but for one side.
`72194`	Radiologic examination, pelvis; 1 or 2 views	Performed when broader pelvic assessment is required or when pelvic imaging is specifically requested in addition to hip views.
`73030`	Radiologic examination, shoulder; 1 or 2 views	Example of other musculoskeletal radiography performed in the same visit for multisite trauma (listed as a common companion code in workflows).
`73090`	Radiologic examination, humerus; 2 views	Another example of companion musculoskeletal imaging that may be performed in multi-injury assessments.

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